A Flying Motorcycle Prototype Completes First Flight Test

A  model of the Aston Martin Vision Volante Concept aircraft is
displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, on July
17, 2018. (AFP/Ben Stansall)
A model of the Aston Martin Vision Volante Concept aircraft is displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, on July 17, 2018. (AFP/Ben Stansall)
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A Flying Motorcycle Prototype Completes First Flight Test

A  model of the Aston Martin Vision Volante Concept aircraft is
displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, on July
17, 2018. (AFP/Ben Stansall)
A model of the Aston Martin Vision Volante Concept aircraft is displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, on July 17, 2018. (AFP/Ben Stansall)

The makers of a luxury vehicle billed as a 'flying motorcycle' that can travel upwards of 300mph have completed flight testing their first prototype and are ready to take preorders, The Daily Mail reported.

Jetpack Aviation envisions its Speeder—a jet-powered, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft—as both a pleasure craft and a mission vehicle well-suited for medical teams and fire and rescue operations. The company's P1 prototype has an aluminum chassis and was tethered during recent flight testing in Southern California, where it hit several benchmarks that 'demonstrated the Speeder's ability to take-off, climb, hover, yaw and perform slow transitions into forward flight,' Aerospace Testing International reported.

The Speeder can reach an altitude of up to 15,000 feet and will ultimately be capable of producing a maximum thrust of 1,200 pounds.

With cargo on board, an automated Speeder could hit speeds of 300 mph, though a manned version would be slower so the pilot could safely see and breathe.

The cost of the Speeder was initially reported at $380,000, but that's likely to increase, according to Jetpack Aviation CEO David Mayman. The Speeder is small enough to be transported in a trailer and doesn't need charging before taking off.

Unlike a jetpack, there's not a lot of prep work needed to launch: 'You'd just hop on and fly,' New Atlas reported. JA is already working on its next iteration, the P1.5, which will use a smaller frame with carbon-fiber body panels.

It will look closer to the final production model and will fly without a tether. The next experimental model, the P2, will have a fully-formed body and small removable wings. While Speeder prototypes use four engines, the final production model will have up to eight.

JetPack Aviation has received backing from venture capitalist Tim Draper, an early investor in Elon Musk's Tesla and SpaceX, CNBC reported. Right now the Speeder can be powered by jet fuel, diesel or kerosene, but Mayman is committed to adopting zero-net carbon fuel moving forward.



Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
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Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)

Prince William and wife Catherine will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on the Scottish island of Mull on Tuesday, the latest step on the princess's road to recovery from cancer.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was "in remission", having announced last March she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.

She has since returned to frontline public duties, but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.

The couple will spend two days touring the western Scottish islands of Mull and Iona, where they will "celebrate and connect with rural island communities", according to their Kensington Palace office.

They will celebrate their anniversary on Mull, the fourth-largest island in Scotland, which has a population of around 3,000 people and is known for its fishing and farming communities.

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.

Since then, the royal family has undergone a tumultuous decade in which Queen Elizabeth II died after a record-breaking 70-year reign and William's father, King Charles III, ascended to the throne.

Charles revealed last year he had been diagnosed with cancer, and is still receiving weekly treatment.

William's brother Harry also dropped a bombshell when he announced in 2020 that he was quitting the family. He now lives in the United States with wife Meghan.

All of which drama should be a long way from the tranquility of rural Scotland, where the royal couple will arrive on Tuesday for a two-day trip.

William and Catherine will spend time with members of the local communities "reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment" -- two subjects close to both their hearts, said Kensington Palace.

On arrival, they will visit an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory, meeting some of the island's makers and creators before heading to a local croft to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality.

On the second day, the couple will visit an ancient woodland and join a local school group for an outdoor lesson.

They will round the trip off by taking a public ferry to Mull's tiny neighbor Iona, which has a population of around 170 people but receives around 130,000 visitors a year.