Two More Martin Jetpacks Unearthed And Heading To Auction

If you missed out on buying a Martin Jetpack when two of the iconic New Zealand aircraft went on sale last year – then you’re still in with a chance.

Two more Martin Jetpacks have been located, re-assembled and will go on sale later this week.

The Martin Aircraft Company went into liquidation a year ago and most of the company’s assets were sold late last year. That included one Martin Jetpack that sold for $37,600 and another that sold for $158,200. It also included a tender package of jetpacks, unmanned drone test aircraft, spare engines, training simulators, every imaginable spare part, computer servers, branding and technical documentation – all of which was purchased by an overseas buyer.

“I was absolutely blown away by the interest in the aircraft last year, and I’m pleased that the discovery of these additional two aircraft will give others the opportunity to own a piece of New Zealand aviation history,” says Skylarc Asset Realisation’s Sam Brown.

“Given the price of fuel right now it’s probably just as well neither of these aircraft have engines, but they’ll still be a great talking point for years to come.”

One of the aircraft has flown extensively, while the other had never been assembled until it came into Sam’s warehouse.

Sam is staying schtum on where and how the two latest aircraft were unearthed and what price he thinks they may reach but he’s pleased they were found and can now go to new homes.

Photos and details of the new craft are at https://www.skylarc.co.nz/auctions/skylarcs-martin-jetpack-prototype-auction/

As to whether this really is the last chapter in the Martin Jetpack story, Sam says he knows no more than the rest of us.

David Ruscoe and Russell Moore of Grant Thornton New Zealand were appointed as Liquidators of Christchurch-based Martin Aircraft Company Limited in March 2021, following the wind up of the company in 2019. They appointed Skylarc to manage the sale of the remaining assets on their behalf.

About the Martin Jetpack

• The Martin Jetpack was the brainchild of Christchurch man Glenn Martin, who started development in his garage in the 1980s.
• It’s a single person aircraft - rather than a jetpack - powered by a petrol engine with two ducted fans providing lift-off. The pilot is strapped into a standing frame and uses hand controls to pilot the craft.
• The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft has held New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority and United States FAA approval for manned test flights. It was classified by the FAA as an experimental ultralight plane.
• A prototype was unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture in Oshkosh, United States in 2008.
• The Martin Jetpack was designed to be easy to fly, so it could be used by first responders and could also carry a payload. It was able to fly for almost half an hour.
• It features a carbon fibre airframe and landing gear, aluminium quad rotor, and titanium and Inconel exhausts.
• Martin Aircraft Company Limited closed its doors in 2019.

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