[title]
It’s been 51 long years since ‘Thunderball’, the film that saw Sean Connery slip on a jetpack and soar through the sky like some kind of Scottish kite, establishing dreams of personal aerial travel as he went. Now, those dreams could finally be within sight, as someone has been spotted testing a working prototype jetpack right here in London.
Aussie pilot David Mayman was the man trying the jet fuel-powered device out down at the Royal Victoria terminal of the Emirates Air Line earlier today, where he took off, floated about over the river for a few minutes and then landed safely back on the ground. Here he is in action, look.
Mayman has spent $5 million and 25 years of his own money developing the prototype, and has just launched a crowdfunding campaign with a view to raising £300k with which to develop a commercially viable, electric-powered version. Chances are it'll cost a smidge more than your weekly travelcard, but the view would certainly put the Victoria line to shame.
In other weird news:
➕ A cube whose only purpose is ‘fidgeting with‘ just raised £4.2 million on Kickstarter
➕ You can stick your arm into a hole and get a mystery tattoo