Video: Jetpack By Troy Hartman - The Real Rocketeer? (Hmm, Maybe Not)

 So you probably know about the Martin Jetpack, and also about Yves Rossy - aka Jetman (who will be making his first public flights in the US at Oshkosh 2013!) but do you know about stuntman Troy Hartman and his Jetpack? If you do, you're a step head of me... I just learned of this sorta Rocketeer project this morning. The video above is actually from last August.

 I was leaning in pretty close watching the video until I realized that Troy is using the Jetpack mostly as a source of thrust to get him in the air under a parachute. However, he claims to have about 200 pounds of thrust with the twin turbine setup, and it also appears that he's working toward using this as the thrust to power a Jet Wing similar to what Yves Rossy uses. I guess the use of the parachute is just an easy way to test the Jetpack hardware.

Video screenshot: Stuntman Troy Hartman - Rocketeer in training?

 
 Is vertical launch a possibility? Without a wing and much like the Rocketeer? That seems like a good question but I'm guessing any attempt like that is along way off. It does seem possible tho since those good ole rocket-powered jetpacks (like this one) are stable and controllable. Plus, small turbine thrust will certainly continue to improve... but the list of challenges to solve seems exceedingly long and the likelihood for disaster seems very high. You never know tho, maybe one of these days Troy, or some other person with 'issues in the head' will actually make a Rocketeer Jetpack work!

(learn more about Troy and his Jetpack)