JetPack Aviation to launch flying motorcycle for military use.

JetPack Aviation, a US company, says it’s taking orders for a real-life flying motorcycle powered by five modified jet engines on the base of the aircraft. The $380,000 vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, called the “Speeder,” will be able to reach at least 150 mph, have a 45-mile range and fly as high as 15,000 feet when it debuts next year, according to David Mayman, chief executive of JetPack Aviation, a company that creates and sells personal jet packs.

Concept art of the Speeder (Picture source: JetPack Aviation)

The preorder form states that only 20 of the vehicles will be sold on the recreational market, with production beyond that dedicated to military and government customers. The company notes that “the Speeder is not yet a type certified aircraft. It will initially operate in the Ultralight and Experimental categories.”

With four engines (five in the military version) powered by kerosene or diesel, the Speeder is listed as having a top speed that exceeds 150 mph, a ceiling of more than 15,000 feet and a flight time of 20 minutes. The specifications for the military concept expand the flight time to possibly 30 minutes, and include the option to fly autonomously. The military model, as sketched out, would also be able to use Jet A fuel.

In military settings, Mayman said, the aircraft could be used to transport heavy loads, or move soldiers on and off the battlefield, especially in areas too dangerous for helicopters. The craft is small enough to sit on the back of a boat or atop a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, he said.

Maymen foresees the day when the Speeder will undertake missions that even a drone can’t handle. “Electric drones have electric motors out on arms and that help stabilize the craft, but the large ones that can carry people are way too big for serious urban operations,” he said.

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