Today in new ways to die, I bring you: The Speeder, the new flying motorcycle from Los Angeles-based JetPack Aviation.
Powered by four turbojet engines, The Speeder is capable of speeds eclipsing 150 miles per hour and a max altitude of 15,000 feet. While it runs on diesel or kerosene, it still can only fly for 22 minutes at most. The low end is 10 minutes, so get where you're going quickly.
The max pilot weight is 240 pounds and will certainly impact flight times. The flying motorcycle also includes a fly-by-wire control system that self-stabilizes so you don’t roll and fall out of the sky.
Now, you need to put your deposit down on these things quickly, because the company only has plans to build 20 recreational versions of the speeder before dedicating production to the military.
The exclusivity comes with a steep price point. The pre-order will cost you $10,000 (refundable), which isn't bad. However, the final version is going to cost you at least $380,000 — but, hey, it comes with a free hat and a keychain.
According to the company's military site, they are currently test flying a one-third scale Speeder prototype.
JetPack Aviation has been in the micro personal vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft business for 10 years. You may remember their early work, the JetPack that the CEO flew around the Statue of Liberty.
The best part is that you might not even need a pilot's license to fly this thing, and if you’re going 150 miles per hour, there’s a good chance you won’t feel anything anyways.
