Designed to hit speeds up to 300 mph, the Challis Heliplane is a concept aircraft that aims to be the world’s fastest rotorcraft. When produced, the Challis Heliplane will be capable of twice the cruising speed and almost twice the range of a conventional helicopter.
Like other heliplane designs, the Challis will be able to fly in a continuous stable hover and reach high cruising speeds. The simple design will reduce production and maintenance costs, making the Challis a relatively affordable way to book it through the skies.
Yesterday at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, New Zealand inventor Glenn Martin debuted what he calls “the world’s first practical jetpack.” Powered by a water-cooled 200hp engine, the prototype jetpack flies for about 30 minutes and may eventually be capable of reaching an altitude of 3,000 feet, although Martin has set the limit at six feet for now while he tests the controls. Forty-eight year-old Martin has been tinkering with flying devices for the past 27 years and has high hopes for this jetpack, which he hopes to start selling to the public next year at a price of around $100,000.
In the video above, you’ll see Martin’s 16-year-old-son, Harrison, testing out the pack in front of a large crowd of onlookers. Based on the video and the maximum test height, it looks like Martin’s got a long way to go before he brings this jetpack to market. But we’ll keep our fingers crossed that it becomes available soon. And if Martin can get his jetpack to reach 3,000 feet, we hope it comes with a parachute.
Devised by a group of British adventurers known as the Skycar Expedition Team, the Parajet Skycar aims to be the world’s first carbon neutral flying car, running on a synthetic biofuel made from organic landfill waste. The group plans to take the flying car on a journey from London to Timbuktu (in Northern Mali) in March of 2009. While the expedition will involve a combination of driving and flying, the team will be piloting the Skycar over the English Channel, the Straights of Gibraltar, and the sand seas of the Sahara desert.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, then subscribe to our RSS Feed.
