Posted on 07/14/2019 1:52:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Frank Zapata demonstrated his device above the crowds at the Champs-Elysee, soaring high into the air on what looks like a futuristic hoverboard. A former jet-skiing champion, Zapata operated the device by leaning forward as if on a Segway.
As part of his display, he flew to and fro before stopping gracefully in midair while holding an unloaded rifle...
Zapata claims that the Flyboard can reach a top speed of 190 km/h, with a predicted top speed of 200 km/h. According to his website, it can fly up to 150 metres for ten minutes, carrying a maximum load of 100 kg. The predicted limits are even higher — the Flyboard has a max altitude of 3,000 metres, a maximum flight time of 30 minutes and a maximum carrying capacity of 200 kg.
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.in ...
I’ve ridden a motorcycle to 105mph with no fairing no problem.
Well he screwed the pooch doing the intro photograph with an infamous scary black AR type rifle.
100 km/h equates to roughly 60 mph. Wind resistance, etc will affect actual loaded speeds, but for fast insertion of troops, lots of potential
“ I had a BMW R74/5 motorcycle. If, without a fairing, I even got it up to 60 mph, it became very hard to control because of the terrific force of the wind. “
Something else was going on. Lots of naked i.e. unfaired bikes go over 100 mph all the time with no control problems. Dirt bikes (with knobby tires!) have been to 120. My Buell (not me riding) 140 with only a tiny handlebar fairing.
That’s why our hover platform program intended for infantry was scrapped years ago (60s?). The concept was basically just one big circular fan laying on the ground with front and side rails. I don’t think it got very far because command realized that whoever stood on it was a sitting duck.
Maybe this is more quiet than that would have been. Maybe it has a special forces role now. I just don’t see divisions of infantry boarding over a hill any time soon.
Yeah, I left off my /sarc tag somehow.
Sheik Yerbouti!
Interesting, but won’t replace skeet surfing.
This is really cool. Pretty amazing and I am surprised people did not wreck on the road when they filmed it. Ever onward and upwards for technology!
Bookmarking
Seriously a rifle carrying Frenchman? And if he’s flying in an airplane with rifles I imagined rifles will be falling out of the airplane. Hopefully somebody will get my humor.
Marty McFly would’ve felt right at home on it.
If the French military adopts these, their rifles will receive more damage when dropped.
have you seen this? The new Black Knight transformer army flying truck
Its an ambulance now but it could easily become a "infaboard assault carrier" that drove close to an dug in enemy on the backside of some unassailable terrain then lift up and deliver infantry from the unprotected backside of the position.
You've seen the robot mules and cheetahs I assume. How devastating would it be to sneak it close to some critical infrastructure, release a bunch of robo-infantry of various types and then when they return to the mother ship and just zip back out?
Are we finally here? I mean, "In the future…"?
That is straight out of 1988’s Masters of the Universe.
He-Man!!!
You had issues that did not involve the wind. I have been way over 100 on naked bikes many times. Sometimes on the road, more often on a road racing circuit.
Never had the slightest control problem.
Pretty amazing and I am surprised people did not wreck on the road when they filmed it.
I did some National hare&hound races after my motocross day were over. Lots of fast fire roads at speeds of 80-90 mph. I stood the whole time in a somewhat crouched position. Never felt like I was going to get blown off. You do squeeze with your legs. I roadraced super bike for a time. At the end of a straight away when you reached you braking reference, you would, pull the clutch in, apply both brakes really hard, and sit straight up. You sit up to use the wind to help slow you down. This happen many time at speeds over 150mph. I never felt I was going to blow off the back of the motorcycle.
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