Richard Browning, a maverick British inventor, put on his jet suit the other day and hand-delivered a letter to the Isle of Wight! The ridiculously awesome jet-powered body suit is reminiscent to the one Iron Man wears to fly around and save the world. It is quite impressive to say the least.
“The incredible feat was inspired by German entrepreneur Gerhard Zucker, who tried to send post by rocket to the Isle of Wight in 1934,” reported BBC.
Mr Browning told BBC’s Inside Out South:
I suppose a rocket that you’re not attached to that’s just going to do its thing is one thing. But when you’re actually in the middle of a jet engine-powered suit that’s a different kettle of fish.
It was almost a mile-long trip (1.3km) across the Solent – from Hurst Castle in Lymington to Fort Albert in Freshwater. He reached speeds of up to 60 miles/hour and traveled the distance in just 75 seconds!
The journey was the furthest yet undertaken in the suit, building on the successes of previous smaller trials conducted by Browning. The previous demonstrations in the suit occurred in over 20 different countries around the world.
Gravity Industries is the firm behind the marvelous creation. The suit uses five gas turbines that produce over 1,000 brake horsepower to gain flight. It can reach speeds of over 55mph (89kph)! It was awarded a patent earlier this year – it’s the world’s first official ‘jet suit’ the company says.
The patent, issued by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, covers:
A wearable flight system with a number of propulsion assemblies including a left-hand propulsion assembly and a right-hand propulsion assembly worn on a user’s hands and/or forearm. Preferably a body propulsion assembly is provided with support for a user’s waist or torso. Leg propulsion systems may also be provided.
Part of the patent claim includes documents in which the company cited Marvel Studios’ Iron Man character and his use of a wearable flight system which utilizes propulsion units worn on the hands.
The firm is now planning to make a series of suits for teams to use in races. Its priority is to create competitive race courses for the launch of a Gravity Race Series in late 2019, which “will see a new cohort of diverse pilots putting their flight skills to the test, competing in teams on courses around the world.” It said it’s already in ‘advanced discussions’ with possible host cities, broadcasters and sponsors. “Since launching Gravity in 2017, we have not stopped challenging the status quo,” Browning said.
Gravity has also launched a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) project in UK schools to “inspire innovation and creativity in the STEM domain and encourage engagement and participation in STEM subjects prior to GCSE subject selection and beyond.”
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