Science $2 million prize for a personal flying machine.

[RGClark]

Boeing will give $2 million to anyone who can build a functional jetpack.
Flying cars are so passé
By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk Sep 26, 2017, 12:30pm EDT
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/26/16362868/boeing-go-fly-prize-jetpack-competition

Deadline for submitting a proposal outline is April 4, 2018.

This should be doable with the micro turbojets available now, such as this:

http://www.pbsaerospace.com/our-products/tj-40-turbojet-engine

They have better than a 10 to 1 thrust to weight ratio, so can lift off with payload even in VTVL mode. A problem might be the fuel burn rate. At max thrust of 88 lbs, the burn rate is 42 oz per minute. Say you needed 3 to liftoff with an average man, with the weight of the engines, supporting structures and fuel. That's 120 oz per minute. Even a 10 minute flight would need 120*10 = 1,200 oz, or 75 pounds. That's alot of fuel to carry on your back. And that also subtracts from the payload that can be carried.

Bob Clark

 

[Artlav]

Fuel, hm?
The most powerful and efficient "jet engines" of today are the airliner engines, and they are essentially giant ducted fans spun by a little gas turbine core.

Perhaps it would be way more efficient to skip the whole jet, burn and turbine stuff and go straight to the electric-ducted-fan-pack? Also way safer.
Unfortunately, we aren't there yet battery-wise...

 

[RisingFury]

Perhaps it would be way more efficient to skip the whole jet, burn and turbine stuff and go straight to the electric-ducted-fan-pack? Also way safer.

In the RC community, the EDFs are sometimes referred to as "the poor man's jets"

Don't count on them to actually lift anything.

 

[Andy44]

Fuel, hm?
The most powerful and efficient "jet engines" of today are the airliner engines, and they are essentially giant ducted fans spun by a little gas turbine core.

Perhaps it would be way more efficient to skip the whole jet, burn and turbine stuff and go straight to the electric-ducted-fan-pack? Also way safer.
Unfortunately, we aren't there yet battery-wise...

Kind of like this? Lots of people have been working on these things for a while, but you're right about the battery life.

 

[GLS]

So, we're moving to more advanced engines now that the personal flying machine with propellers has been developed. :hmm: