Meet the JetPack Aviation P2 Speeder, an octo-engine jet bike capable of taking off and flying at accelerations reaching five hundred miles an hour.
During the presentation in California, JetPack Aviation explained that the high-end vehicle prototype supports piloted and autonomous modes of operation. Aside from providing a means of cool personal transports, it could be used for fighting fires or transporting injured people from emergency zones.
The vehicle features a carbon-fiber body and normally seats only one person, whose position is designed to create as little drag as possible. The jet thrusters on board can use standard aviation fuel or its more modern, eco-friendly substitutes.
A number of electronic systems monitor the performance of the system at all times. If there is a malfunction, the faulty jet switches into emergency mode while the rest immediately reconfigure themselves to maintain stability and handling. The company claims the bike can carry up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) on board and cover 400 miles (644 kilometers) once fueled to the max.
JetPack Aviation hopes to begin pilotless tests in Q3 2022 and proceed to piloted flights in late fall. Pre-orders have been running since last year with a projected full price of $380,000 USD, but the technical specifications quoted back then were tamer than they are now, so a hefty premium should be expected.