Photo: Steve Parsons / PA
Man can’t fly on his own, but it would be awesome if he could. British inventor Richard Browning, founder of Gravity Industries and pilot of the Jet Suit, still believes the best application for his jetpack is in the military.
The military agrees, even if with the caveat that more work is needed in order to make the jet-powered suit up to par with the performance needed. Richard Browning was on hand for a live demo at the Army People Conference earlier this week, flying the Jet Suit at the Farnborough International Airport in Hampshire, England, to show a large body of military personnel what the future of armed forces could possibly hold.
Browning invented the Jet Suit and he’s always flying it himself. Having founded Gravity Industries several years ago, his initial goal was to make the suit commercially available. He never attained it, due to the high price of a single unit, poor autonomy, and local and international flight regulations, to name just a few. Since then, he’s been working to get the Jet Suit into the army or emergency response services, showing it off during live demonstrations.
You can see the latest at the bottom of the page. Browning hovered above ground, landed on two parked vehicles and took off from them, and ended the demo by landing in the balcony hosting the live audience.
The Army was convinced, though non-committal. Such a Jet Suit could become standard in the future, allowing soldiers to soar over conflict zones at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) high and speeds of up to 80 mph (129 kph).
“Innovation and technological advance, two of the main drivers at the Army’s People Conference 21 being held at Farnborough International Conference Centre, were remarkably demonstrated as the conference opened with a capability display flight by Richard Browning wearing a gravity-defying jet suit,” reads the Army statement on the flight.
Earlier this year, a demo of the Jet Suit with the Royal Marines was deemed equally convincing, but ultimately not enough for military adoption.
Browning invented the Jet Suit and he’s always flying it himself. Having founded Gravity Industries several years ago, his initial goal was to make the suit commercially available. He never attained it, due to the high price of a single unit, poor autonomy, and local and international flight regulations, to name just a few. Since then, he’s been working to get the Jet Suit into the army or emergency response services, showing it off during live demonstrations.
You can see the latest at the bottom of the page. Browning hovered above ground, landed on two parked vehicles and took off from them, and ended the demo by landing in the balcony hosting the live audience.
The Army was convinced, though non-committal. Such a Jet Suit could become standard in the future, allowing soldiers to soar over conflict zones at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) high and speeds of up to 80 mph (129 kph).
“Innovation and technological advance, two of the main drivers at the Army’s People Conference 21 being held at Farnborough International Conference Centre, were remarkably demonstrated as the conference opened with a capability display flight by Richard Browning wearing a gravity-defying jet suit,” reads the Army statement on the flight.
Earlier this year, a demo of the Jet Suit with the Royal Marines was deemed equally convincing, but ultimately not enough for military adoption.
Pleasure to fly and speak @BritishArmy People Conference 2021 today pic.twitter.com/O8gZFDcDLQ
— Gravity (@takeonGravity) November 3, 2021
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