A Martin Jetpack prototype that is no longer operational has sold for $158,200 on Trade Me.
The aircraft was listed on November 1 with a $1 reserve, and received 179 bids before the listing closed at 7.52pm on Tuesday.
The final bid was made at 7.50pm by a man based in Christchurch – but he was challenged by several bids, with the price jumping from $140,000 to $158,200 in just six minutes.
The Martin Jetpack was created by Christchurch man Glenn Martin, who started work on it in his garage in the 1980s.
Seven prototype Martin Jetpacks and items including an unmanned drone test aircraft, spare engines, training simulators, the company’s computer servers, branding and technical documentation are being sold by the liquidators of Martin Jetpack Aircraft.
The Jetpack is a single-person aircraft 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, which can be flown for up to 30 minutes.
But this aircraft crashed in a lake in late 2016 and is no longer operational, so will only be for display, the listing says.
A crowdfunding campaign was launched to purchase a Martin Jetpack prototype and donate it to a local museum.
