Since the early 20th century, people have been enthralled by the adventures of Superman. Other high-flying superheroes made it to mainstream popularity soon after, and people began to love the idea of being able to fly over town. While it seems an impossibility today, NASA seems intent on opening the door to single-person flight.

Enter the Puffin, NASA’s prototype of a single-person, experimental, electric aircraft. It’s basically a machine that fits one person, and uses propellers to lift off and provide thrust for forward flight. Sure, people can fly using jet packs, but the Puffin has a cockpit and is assumed to be much safer.

The offerings are impressive for a prototype. It only has a tenth of the noise produced by a helicopter, has a range of about 50 miles, and can fly at 300 miles per hour. NASA engineers say the range can triple in seven years.

Of course, it’s not on the market yet, and no one really knows when it becomes cheap enough (and maybe safe enough) for ordinary people to use. When it does come out, though, I’m sure it’ll have a cooler name.

Via: Switched