Remember the French inventor?who crossed the Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard. Now, the real-life 'Ironman' is looking for?25 brave volunteers to test a new flying vehicle named JetRacer.?
43-year-old inventor, Franky Zapata?originally announced plans to create a flying car that could travel on roads as well as in the air. However, the new flying car?is actually more like a sophisticated version of his hoverboard with the distinct advantage that the pilot has a seat.
There are no wheels but the craft is able to take off and land vertically using ten kerosene-powered micro turbo-jet engines, which allow it to reach an altitude of almost 10,000ft (3,000m).
This flying car will be made of carbon fibre and titanium and controlled with two joysticks, Zapata said. As of now, no details have been revealed about what it cost to make or when it might be available to the public, but it is unlikely to be any time soon.
To begin with, this craft will be?used for stunts and entertainment. However, Zapata is keen for them to one day be useful during mountain rescues, or to get emergency doctors to the scenes of road accidents.
Zapata said of the flying machine: "It's just as people imagine. You sit in it and you fly."It's like Aladdin's magic carpet." The man also claims that the flying car can accelerate up to 155mph but he hasn't gone further than 80mph."The problem is me. For the moment, I'm a little bit afraid to go any faster."
Once the JetRacer is out, it will be the first?flying car available on the mass market.?100 volunteers will be selected for the trial, where they will try out the vehicle using a simulator.25 volunteers will then be chosen for the real flights and sent to the U.S. for testing.
People who are interested can volunteer via Zapata's website.?
In 2019, the inventor became the first person in history to cross the English Channel on a kerosene-powered board not much bigger than a tea tray. There was a maximum of 42 litres in his backpack, meaning he had to refuel halfway across the Channel, which meant landing on a boat and swapping backpacks during a stop of no more than two minutes.
Sounds interesting.
Follow us on?telegram.?