After seeing that footage of Marines flying around using Gravity Industries' jet suits, I figured personal human flight now had its form factor. But a

Jetpack Alternative: A Backpack Helicopter - Core77

submited by

Style Pass

2021-06-08 04:00:06

After seeing that footage of Marines flying around using Gravity Industries' jet suits, I figured personal human flight now had its form factor. But an Australian company called CopterPack begs to differ.

Their design approach is "an electric backpack helicopter with a self-leveling autopilot," they write. "The lightweight airframe is constructed from carbon fiber honeycomb."

I have no idea how heavy that thing is to wear while you're on the ground, but it's striking how easy they make flight look. You'll also notice that they do actually show the take-off and landing, and it appears super smooth:

At press time there was virtually no information on CopterPack's website, and the video had far fewer hits than you'd think (less than 250k). CopterPack has clearly found talented engineers; next they'll have to find some capable marketers.

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.