A flying platform able to lift a person as high as 10,000 feet and race over land or water at high speeds could have huge military implications.
For one, future airborne troops may not just fall from the sky, they might leap back into the air.
The so-called Flyboard Air is still undergoing testing by Zapata Racing of France -- the folks who just a few years ago came out with the Flyboard, which allows people to perform incredible over-water acrobatics via a hose and powerful jet stream of water.
The latest invention reportedly no longer requires the tether hose, keeping the user over water. If real, Flyboard Air is right out of your wildest sci-fi imagination -- the closest thing yet to the Spider-Man nemesis Green Goblin’s hover board.
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According to its website, Zapata claims Flyboard Air has a ceiling of 10,000 feet, can hit speeds of more than 90 miles per hour and fly for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, details are scant about the propulsion system.
The company promises the device will enter the market sometime this year.
Certainly, the technology would seem to be able to dispatch a Marine quickly to-shore from a ship near the coast, or a soldier from sidewalk to rooftop.
Zapata has previously displayed its wares at air shows such as Dubai. As yet, the company has not responded Military.com query as to whether the Flyboard Air will be demonstrated at Farnborough International Air Show in England this summer.
Stay tuned.
