Finally, jetpacks!!!

I'm a big fan of retro-futurism, ie the future we were promised but never got (jetsons, flying cars, jetpacks, hotels on mars, robot butlers, etc).
A lifelong dream of mine gets that much closer to reality!

Read on:

To some extent, everyone's in the market for a jet pack. But since Bell Labs built the first rocket belt (the correct, if less exciting, name) in 1953, potential buyers have been stymied by two problems: Rocket belts aren't for sale, and even prototypes run on modern-day fuel (as opposed to whatever the Jetsons use) — which means rocket belts can weigh upwards of 100 pounds, with only enough fuel to stay aloft for under a minute. Now, a pair of companies have solved one of these problems — rocket belts are for sale.

Mexican start-up Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (TAM) offers its custom-built TAM Rocket Belt for $250,000, which includes flight and maintenance training. On a full tank of hydrogen peroxide the belt weighs 124 to 139 pounds (the bigger the pilot, the bigger the belt), and provides 30 seconds of flight. TAM's sole competitor is Jetpack Inter­national, a Colorado-based company that sells what it calls "the world's longest-flying jet pack." Technically speaking, it's true — the hydrogen-peroxide-burning Jet Pack H202 can stay in the air for 33 seconds, 3 seconds longer than TAM's model. The H202 weighs 139 pounds, and is competitively priced at $155,000, flight classes and all.

Jetpack International founder Troy Widgery is the first to point out the drawbacks of current short-flight rocket belts. "If something goes wrong, you can get killed," Widgery says. "Thirty-three seconds of fuel makes an inexperienced pilot twitchy." The solution? Ditch the rocket belt, and build a bona fide jet pack (okay, jet belt). Widgery plans to release the T73 Turbine by the end of the year; it's a $200,000 model that will burn jet fuel, allowing it to stay airborne for 19 minutes. Not to be outdone, TAM is working on a propane-burning jet belt, though it hasn't said when it will be available. While swapping inert hydrogen peroxide for propane or Jet-A fuel has obvious drawbacks, jet belts would be, for many, a childhood dream come true. "With 19 minutes you can take things slower," Widgery says. "You aren't spending the whole flight thinking about where to land." We'll take his word for it.



Also, this is a GREAT BLOG to check out:

Paleo-Future. Click it!

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Hello Bob's Readers!

As stated by Bob himself, I am JJ. Bob and I went to high school together and have been friends for years now. We used to terrorize spanish class (where I think Bob's name was Ramone?) & Band & we were in typing together I think.

I will not bore you with a bio of me.

I will update for you here, live and direct, as the mood strikes me.




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The Blog...

I will be on Vaca starting on the 29th of June and returning on July5th. I have invited a very good friend of mine to guest host my blog and do several posts for me while i am gone. His name is Jimmy Freeman and you will get to know him during that week. I have also set up mobile blogging with the use of my cell phone. So i will post a few pics hear and there during the week as well. Have a good evening and i will get a few posts out this week before i leave...

Thankx.


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Test

Some Interesting Pics...

You know that i like to post some interesting pics that i find on the net every now and again. Here are some more for your viewing pleasure...

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Real Tallent...

That must hurt her hands...
Very useful skill...



These people have what it takes to make it to the top of my Dumbass of the week posting...


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A Modern Parable...

A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company( Ford )decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decidedto investigatethe reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had eight people steering and one person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to four steering supervisors, three area steering superintendents and one assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the one person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower.

There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India .

Sadly, The End. Sad, but oh so true!

Here's something else to thinkabout: Ford hasspent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages. Toyota has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US .

The last quarter's results: Toyota makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses. Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

IF THIS WASN'T SO SAD IT MIGHT BE FUNNY !!!!

Thanks to LCDC Mike Sieverson for this little story.

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