Martin Jetpack

Key takeaways

Martin Jetpack belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Martin Jetpack to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Martin Jetpack from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Martin Jetpack was a single-person aircraft under development. Despite its name, it did not use a jet pack as such, but ducted fans for lift. Martin Aircraft Company of New Zealand (not related to Glenn L. Martin Company, the US company also known as Martin Aircraft) developed it, and unveiled it at the Experimental Aircraft Association's 2008 AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, US. The US Federal Aviation Administration classified it as an experimental ultralight airplane. It used a petrol engine with two ducted fans to provide lift. It was specified to have a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph), a flight ceiling of 2,500 ft (760 m), a range of 15–20 km (9.5–12.5 mi), and endurance of about 28 minutes of flight. Empty weight was 200 kg (440 lb). Martin Aircraft initially planned to target first responders as customers. In 2019, the company closed.

History The Martin Jetpack was under development for over 30 years. Glenn Neal Martin started work on it in his Christchurch garage in the 1980s. New Zealand aviation regulatory authorities approved the Martin Jetpack for a limited set of manned flight tests in 2013. As of 2016, the price of the commercial production units was hoped to be US$250,000 Glenn Martin suddenly resigned on 4 June 2015 after investing 30 years in the product. In August 2016, CEO Pete Coker was replaced by the former CFO James West. The company closed its doors in 2019, with KuangChi Science, Martin Aircraft's 52% majority shareholder, looking for a buyer for the few remaining assets.

Description The Martin Jetpack was a small VTOL device with two ducted fans to provide lift and a 2.0-litre (120 cu in) V4 piston 200-horsepower (150 kW) petrol engine. Although its pilot strapped onto it and did not sit, the device was not classed as a backpack device because it was too large to be worn while walking. However, the Martin Jetpack did not meet the US Federal Aviation Administration's classification of an ultralight aircraft; it met the weight and fuel restrictions, but it not the power-off stall speed requirement. The intention was to create a specific classification for the jetpack; it used the same petrol used in cars, was relatively easy to fly, and was expected to be cheaper to maintain and operate than other ultralight aircraft. Most helicopters require a tail rotor to counteract the rotor torque, which, along with the articulated head, complicate flying, construction, and maintenance. The Martin Jetpack was designed to be torque neutral (it had no tail rotor, no collective, no articulating or foot pedals) to simplify flying. Pitch, roll and yaw were controlled by one hand, height by the other.

Version P12 A further version of the Martin Jetpack was built to prepare for manned flight testing. The prototype, called P12, had several design improvements over earlier versions, including lowering the position of the ducts, which reportedly resulted in better maneuverability. It also had a fully integrated fly-by-wire system. P12 was to be developed into a first responder production model. A lighter personal jetpack was hoped to follow.

Safety features To enhance safety, the product was to feature a low-opening ballistic parachute along with carbon-fibre landing gear and pilot module.

Flight testing On 29 May 2011, the Martin Jetpack successfully completed a remotely controlled unmanned test flight to 1,500 m (5,000 ft) above sea level, and carried out a successful test of its ballistic parachute. A second version, designated prototype P12, of the Martin Jetpack received approval from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to begin manned flight testing in August 2013. According to an investor update from August 2016, additional funding would be required to complete the certification process.

Potential markets In 2015, the company as part of its listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:MJP) stated that the jetpack could be available on the market in late 2016; it was expected to sell for about US$250,000. However, the delivery date was again postponed. Governments were expected to be a large share of initial consumers. The first production model was aimed at military and first responder emergency crews, such as police, firefighters, and medical personnel, to enable them to have faster response times, to reach areas inaccessible by road, and to get to the top of tall buildings quickly. Interested buyers included the government of the United Arab Emirates; in November 2015, Dubai reportedly had placed an initial order for 20 units, simulators and training, for delivery in 2016. By 2019, however, with little progress on the development of the production jetpack having occurred, the company was wound up.

Specifications Data from Company Web siteGeneral characteristics Crew: 1 Capacity: 120 kg (265 lb) payload Length: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Width: 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) Height: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) Empty weight: 200 kg (441 lb) Max takeoff weight: 320 kg (705 lb) Fuel capacity: 11.89 US gal (9.90 imp gal; 45.0 L) Powerplant: 1 × Martin Aircraft Company V4 V-4 piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp) at 6000 rpm Main rotor diameter: 2 × 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) Main rotor area: 1 m2 (11 sq ft) Carbon/Kevlar composite ducted fans Performance

Maximum speed: 74 km/h (46 mph, 40 kn) Cruise speed: 56 km/h (35 mph, 30 kn) at 152 m (500 ft) minimum altitude Range: 33.7 km (20.9 mi, 18.2 nmi) Endurance: 30 minutes Service ceiling: 910 m (3,000 ft) AMSL Rate of climb: 2.0 m/s (400 ft/min) Disk loading: 320 kg/m2 (66 lb/sq ft) Power/mass: 0.467 kW/kg (0.284 hp/lb)

See also SoloTrek XFV Backpack helicopter NASA Puffin

References

External links Video of Martin Jetpack in operation "It's 2010 — Finally My Jet Pack is Here!". Bloomberg Businessweek. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2018.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Martin Jetpack

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Martin Jetpack claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Martin Jetpack before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Martin Jetpack ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Martin Jetpack

In research: Martin Jetpack appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Martin Jetpack in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Martin Jetpack is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000s New Zealand ultralight aircraft, 2000s experimental aircraft, Ducted fan-powered aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Martin Jetpack outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Martin Jetpack in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Martin Jetpack means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Martin Jetpack out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Martin Jetpack in simple terms?

The Martin Jetpack was a single-person aircraft under development. Despite its name, it did not use a jet pack as such, but ducted fans for lift.

Why does Martin Jetpack matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Martin Jetpack?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Martin Jetpack.