SKIRMISHER

This is Glenn Martin, showing off his jet pack. Prepare to die.

A motorbike engine running on petrol uses car fan-belts to drive two fan propellers that spin horizontally inside what looks like two oversized soup cans.

This ‘ducted fan’ design is more efficient than the unshielded rotor of a helicopter.

The engine, fuel tank and pilot are positioned between and below the lift-fans to lower the centre of gravity and prevent the machine turning upside down in flight and diving into the ground.

Two control levers protrude forwards beneath the pilot’s arms. The left one is a joystick controlling forward and backward movement and sideways tilt of the propellers, for left and right turns.

The right lever is the accelerator, the engine start-and-stop switch, and a button for the emergency parachute, located behind the pilot’s head.

Mr Martin recently gained backing from a group of venture capitalists and quit his regular job as a biochemist to develop his machine.

He said: ‘Within six months I’ll take it to 500ft, then the sky’s the limit.’ He believes its ideal flying height will be between 500ft and 1,000ft although it could go up to 6,000ft. He said his machine can stay up for 30 minutes, a flying time he believes will make it a best-seller.

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