Jet-packs are a big deal for us. We’ve talked about “the jet-pack issue” before, and you should bend your ears to listen. The term “jet-pack issue” could easily be substituted for a term like “the freedom issue”, or “the liberation from the constraints of our bodies issue”. The latest development is that a feasible jet-pack is on the way – the only problem is the massive cost.

Situation: You sell jet-packs. Everyone in the world who considers our love affair with gravity a toxic, one-sided relationship will buy your product.

Problem: Your product took many years, a great deal of knowledge, and vast amounts of money to develop. It will be expensive. Too expensive for every individual described above to purchase your product.

Solution: Market your product to the hyper-wealthy.

That’s the strategy adopted by Martin Aircraft, the company behind that bitching piece of technology in the video above.

This, from Stuff NZ:

Aero-engineering firm Martin Aircraft Company hopes to raise about $10 million by the end of the year to help get its Martin Jetpack ready for commercial roll-out within the next 18 months.

Chief executive Richard Lauder said the company was capital raising and was talking to “wealthy private individuals” both in New Zealand and overseas.

Martin Aircraft Company has just completed a successful test flight of the Jetpack, where the Jetpack climbed at a rate of 800 feet per minute, reaching an altitude of 5000ft. It can climb more than 1000ft per minute, cruise at 100 km per hour and fly for half an hour or more. It can carry 120kg.

The target retail price for the Jetpack is US$100,000 for the recreational version, but a Government-commissioned Jetpack for use in the military or border patrol, would typically cost about double that due to modifications around lift, flight time, speed and temperature range.

Martin said the company had already received 6000 expressions of interest, 2500 from private individuals and 3500 military-related.

[Source : Stuff NZ]