Will US soldiers soon be riding jet powered HOVERBOARDS into battle? Military firm buys company behind record breaking gadget

FlyBoard Air ditches water jets for what a jet turbine engine
Claims to fly for about 10 minute and has a top speed of 93mph (150 km/h)
Created by French jet ski champion, Franky Zapata, who broke the record 
[CN]

飞行板喷水作为涡轮发动机的动力。据说飞行板可以飞行10分钟，最高速度可达93mph(约合150km/h)飞行板由法国喷射滑雪冠军发明创造，打破了记录。

Last month, Franky Zapata stunned the world by revealing his jet powered 'hoverboard' that could travel at 90mph (150km/h). Now, the French jet ski champion has gone one better by smashing the world record for the farthest flight on a hoverboard[CN]

上个月，Franky Zapata展示了他喷射动力飞行板，时速达到90mph (折合150km/h)。现在，法国喷射滑雪冠冠军发明了一个更好的装置，打破了飞行板最长飞行路程的最远记录。

The 37-year-old used his Flyboard Air to travel more than 2,252 meters (7,388ft) off the French Atlantic coastal town of Sausset-les-Pins on Saturday[CN]

37岁的Franky Zapata在周六使用飞行板飞行了2252多米（约7388英里），试飞地点在法国大西洋索塞莱潘的海岸小镇。

The Flyboard Air claims to allow users to fly untethered through the sky to an incredible height of 10,000 feet. That's equal to the height of nearly seven Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other[CN]

飞行板声称能携带不系装备的使用者飞至10000英尺的高空。这高度相当于将近7座帝国大厦叠加起来。

Zapata reached a height of 50 meters (165ft) above the surface of the water and was in the air for just under seven minutes[CN]

Zapata飞在离水平面50米（165英尺）的高空，在空中停留了7分钟。

A Guinness World Records official was on hand for the flight which beat the previous record of 275.9 meters (905ft) by Canadian Catlin Alexandru Duru last year.[CN]

吉尼斯纪录官员在现场观看了飞行全程。此次飞行打破了此前的275.9米（905英尺）的纪录，由去年的加拿大人Catlin Alexandru Dur保持。

Pictured is Franky Zepata with his child who watched the record-breaking attempt. The Flyboard Air claims to allow users to fly untethered through the sky to an incredible height of 10,000 feet

Prior to the record-breaking attempt, the system had its sceptics. Yoni Heisler writing in BGR.com says: 'The video is undoubtedly incredible, but sad to say that there's no way that this can be real, right?'

Around 200 people watched Zapata complete the record-setting ride on Saturday at Sausset-les-Pins

Speaking at a press conference following the successful attempt, a delighted Franky told reporters: 'This has really been a life's work.' Pictured is Zepata with his child, who watched the event

In a comment accompanying the video, Zapata Racing writes: 'The Independent Propulsion Unit represents 4 years of hard work for a result exceeding all records. 'Although the UFO is still in prototype phase and won't be on the market in 2016, it has exactly the same behavior as the WFD Flyboard Pro Series'

An earlier video shows a joystick that appears to be wired to the base of the device. Zapata Racing, however, has not released specific details about how the device is controlled

In a video last month, Zapata reaches a height 30 meters (98ft) above the ground, hitting a top speed of 34mph with a flight time of 3 minutes 55 seconds. Pictured is Franky Zapata before his test flight

Tyga and Kylie Jenner were spotted using an early version of the Flyboard in St Barts last year

Franky Zapata's water-jet Flyboards are already a hit (right) But the French jet ski champion claims to have a new invention that, if it works, could put Marty McFly's hoverboard to shame (right)

It could lead to US soldiers soon flying into battle on hoverboards - and hopefully a consumer board as well.

Last month, Franky Zapata stunned the world by revealing his jet powered 'hoverboard' that could travel at 90mph (150km/h).

Now, his firm has been sold to Implant Science, a Department of Homeland Security supplier. 

The 37-year-old recently used his Flyboard Air to travel more than 2,252 meters (7,388ft) off the French Atlantic coastal town of Sausset-les-Pins on Saturday.

A video shows him reaching a height of 50 meters (165ft) above the surface in a flight that lasted just under seven minutes.

'We are beyond excited to have visionaries like Franky Zapata and his team on board and we are thrilled to allow for shareholders to benefit from the many breakthrough products he has already invented and the new innovations he will be unveiling in coming months and years.' said Implant Sciences president Robert Liscouski, revealing the sale.

'Implant Sciences Corporation, a leading manufacturer of explosives trace detection (ETD) solutions for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) applications, is pleased to announce the signing of a letter of intent to acquire Zapata Industries SAS of Marseilles, France,' the firm said.

'Zapata is a profitable and debt-free company with commercial, defense, and homeland security technology applications.

Zapata achieved the feat on a craft developed by his company Zapata Racing.

He also held an earlier Guinness record for doing 26 backflips with a water jet pack in a single minute.

Speaking at a press conference following the successful attempt, a delighted Zapata told reporters: 'This has really been a life's work.'

Zapata's original Flyboards are popular with the likes of Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner - but his latest invention put Marty McFly's hoverboard to shame.

Dubbed the FlyBoard Air, the device ditches water jets for what appears to be a jet turbine engine - but not everyone is convinced. 

The Flyboard Air claims to allow users to fly untethered through the sky to an incredible height of 10,000 feet.

That's equal to the height of nearly seven Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other.

Last month, Zapata released the first footage showing his new Flyboard Air in action.

The device uses an 'Independent Propulsion Unit' to fly for about 10 minute and has a top speed of 93mph (150 km/h), Zapata Racing claims.

In the video Zapata reaches a height 30 meters (98ft) above the ground, hitting a top speed of 34mph with a flight time of 3 minutes 55 seconds.

However, The Verge points out that the video doesn't show exactly how he takes off. 

There are also no specific details on how Zapata is controlling the Flyboard or what exactly is powering it.

The video, however, does show a joystick that appears to be wired to the base of the device. 

There is no word on when the Flyboard Air will be available for purchase, or if it will ever be released to the public.

And prior to the record-breaking attempt, the system had its sceptics.

Yoni Heisler writing in BGR.com says: 'The video is undoubtedly incredible, but sad to say that there's no way that this can be real, right?'

'I mean, the laws of physics simply won't allow it.'

In a comment accompanying the video, Zapata Racing writes: 'The Independent Propulsion Unit represents 4 years of hard work for a result exceeding all records.

'Although the UFO is still in prototype phase and won't be on the market in 2016, it has exactly the same behavior as the WFD Flyboard Pro Series.'

Zapata has yet to respond to DailyMail.com to comment on the device.

Franky Zapata amazed the world in 2011 with the release of his Flyboard, which uses a water jetpack to propel users into the air.

This latest $2,675 (£1,577) version features a skateboard-shaped craft that will enable the rider to perform tricks, including somersaults and spins.

The device can get up to 16mph as it 'surfs' in mid-air.

Zapata isn't the only one trying to create Back to the Future-style hoverboards.

Last year, Canadian inventor Alexandru Duru set the world record for longest continuous flight on his custom-built hoverboard.

Gliding 275.9m (905ft 2in), or the length of two football fields, across the surface of Lake Ouareau in Quebec, Duru earned himself a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

During the video Duru can be seen hovering around 16ft above the surface of the lake, which is much higher than Marty ever achieved in the film franchise.

Zapata's latest device went to almost twice that height, but it remains to be seen how it really works.