Electric Jet Aircraft EJ-1H Jetpack

EJ-1H Jetpack
Electric Jet Aircraft
Anderson, Indiana, USA
www.electricjetaircraft.com

Pete Bitar founded Electric Jet Aircraft in 2018 in Indiana, USA, pursuing a lifelong goal to build an electric powered jetpack. Electric Jet Aircraft’s VertiCycle is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) hoverbike and a competitor in Boeing's GoFly Prize (USA) competition.

Bitar started testing electric components for eVTOL aircraft in 2013 and originally wanted to make an eVTOL aircraft for agricultural applications but Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulatory rules would have been difficult to overcome for the aircraft. He decided instead to make small ultralight Part 103 personal aircraft instead with the first invention to be an all-electric personal jetpack. Then continued making other types of personal eVTOL aircraft.

The EJ-1H Jetpack is a single passenger eVTOL flying backpack device using six ducted fans and batteries as the power source. There is also a roll bar to the front and above the pilot's head. The six ducted fans are just above shoulder height, three on each side of the pilot, with a rear u-shaped strut which rests on the back of the pilot. The ducted fans begin just slightly forward of the pilot's shoulder and circle towards the back of the pilot. The batteries are located in a backpack which is part of the entire jet pack assembly.

Piloting of the jet pack is unknown; however, there are two vertical handle bars for the pilot's hands located in front of the pilot and just below shoulder height. Many times jet packs and/or rocket belts are steered by shifting the pilot's body or shifting the jet pack on the pilot's body. The pilot wears a crash helmet, body armor and rugged shoes. The Jetpack is strapped onto the pilot with a full body harness including shoulder harnesses, a waist belt and a seat harness with quick-connect buckles. The pilot also wears elbow pads and knee pads for safety.

The company foresees the EJ-1H Jetpack to be used for air shows, events, personal flying, first responders, police and for use by the military.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL jet pack
• Piloting: 1 person
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: Unknown
• Propulsion: 6 ducted fans
• Electric Motors: 6 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft.

Resources:

• Electric Jet Aircraft website
• Electric Jet Aircraft Twitter
• Article: From Lightning Weapons to Flying Cars, WIRED, Nov. 27, 2007
• Article: Watch This Drone Carry A Person, Popular Science, Apr. 14, 2015
• Article: Indiana aerospace takes off. State's attractiveness for industry skyrockets to sixth in nation, Greensburg Daily News, Apr. 12, 2017
• Article: Heavy-Hauling Drone Reaches Market, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Aug. 3, 2017
• Article: AHS Supports GoFly!, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2017
• Article: Meet the Teams, Go Fly Prize, Jan. 8, 2019
• Article: Oshkosh e-AirVenture, Vertiflite, Sep/Oct 2019
• Article: Flying Solo: GoFly Advances Single-Passenger Air Mobility Solutions, Vertiflite, May/June 2019
• Video: Electric Jet Aircraft. Q2, 2020 Overview Video, Pete Bitar, Apr. 28, 2020
• Article: GoFly Inspires Innovation, Vertiflite, May/June 2020
• Article: GoFly Teams Prepare to Fly Again, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2020