Royal Marine reservist, marathon runner, and brilliant engineer Richard Browning
has achieved what many thought a thing of fiction:
flying freely through the skies. Also known as the real-life Iron Man,
Browning created a 400,000-dollar jetpack that has more horsepower than a Bugatti and can fly
a man at speeds of up to 85 miles per hour at an altitude of 12,000 feet with relative ease.
This futuristic jet suit has attracted the attention of the British Royal Marines,
NATO, and even Hollywood for its never-before-seen capabilities, and there is impressive footage
showing it at work, including at a Royal Marines testing exercise in May of 2021,
and also during an urban operation to hunt down a rogue gunman in the Netherlands.
In its creator’s own words, the age of the jet suit is just getting started.
The Real Iron Man
“Who said people can't fly?” is one of the many daring phrases that characterize
Gravity Industries, the company that has created the world’s first trustful jetpack.
Founded by Richard Browning, the company has risen from humble beginnings to a multi-dollar
organization that has attracted international attention, from militaries and security
organizations to racing industries and Hollywood. And it all began during Browning’s childhood.
His grandfather was Sir Basil Blackwell, who used to run Westland Helicopters across the United
Kingdom, and his father was a wartime and civil pilot who also became an aeronautical engineer.
Following his father's footsteps, he spent his childhood dreaming of building new things,
and would continually fly model gliders and tinker with all sorts of artifacts in his workshop.
When Browning’s father passed away when he was only 15, he left behind hundreds of unfulfilled
ideas that he would make sure to bring to life eventually. He would later tell Alice
Fuller from The Sun: (QUOTE) “My father very much inspires what I do today. My passion for aviation,
physics, design, and creating whatever it is - I definitely inherited that.”
After spending 16 years working in the oil industry for BP,
six of which were spent in the Royal Marine Reserve,
Browning decided it was time to build one of his dream inventions: a fully functional jet suit.
Browning really believed in the possibilities of developing a machine capable of human flight,
and he thought that with the right amount of horsepower, it was feasible: (QUOTE)
“My physical exploits taught me a lot about human capability. If you connect that back
up with my family heritage, then it led me down the road of thinking, well, could you not use the
human mind and body to tackle the challenge of flying in an entirely different way?”
The entrepreneur worked on his jet suit during the weekends while working with BP, and in March of
2016, he bought his first engine. By November, he had already achieved his first flight.
After several modifications, Browning was finally confident enough in his jet suit
to publicly launch it in April of 2017 with his new company, Gravity Industries.
The company quickly secured over 650,000 dollars in just two months,
and from that moment on, Richard Browning became known as the real-life Iron Man.
The First Jetpack
According to Gravity Industries, the 30-people company has: (QUOTE) “Executed over 105 live
flight events in 31 countries, set up Search & Rescue and Military collaborations, trained
over 50 clients to fly in the US and UK and are scaling towards an International Race Series.”
Gravity's jet suit has more horsepower than a Bugatti Veyron thanks to its five
gas turbines that generate over 318 pounds of thrust and make 1,050 brake horsepower.
The jetpack has also reported speeds of up to 85 miles per hour
and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet.
Browning himself has said that his current Mk2 model has just scratched
the surface regarding what is possible to achieve with current technology.
The Mk2 uses two miniature jet engines on each arm,
while a fifth one is located on the backpack, which also carries 5.25 gallons of jet fuel.
The user can propel himself for about 5 to 10 minutes before the fuel runs out, but Browning
plans on developing a tethered, electric version for widespread training and other uses.
Although it costs over 400,000 dollars, the jetpack is relatively easy to use.
During an interview with Vanessa Bates, Browning said: (QUOTE) “It’s a bit like riding a bicycle or
skiing or one of those things where it’s just about you thinking about where you want to go
and your body intuitively going there. We’ve had people learn to do this in four or five goes,
with each goes just lasting around 90 seconds.”
The new version of the jet suit, the MK3, set a Guinness Book record in 2019 when Browning managed
to achieve a top speed of 85.6 miles per hour. This third version will feature more flight time,
higher altitude, and a wing system that will extend the jet suit’s range by a broader margin.
And although individuals can contact Gravity to buy their own jetpack,
the company has focused on leasing the suit to the military, rescue, and entertainment industries.
However, that has not stopped Browning from getting calls from
celebrities such as survival expert Bear Grylls,
or even famous actor-turned-stuntman Tom Cruise for future projects.
Flying Commandos
In May of 2021, the Royal Marines tested the jetpack for maritime boarding operations,
and the astonishing footage taken by Gravity attracted worldwide attention.
In the video, a jetpack operator conducts a boarding operation
from a moving inflatable boat full of Marines. The pilot lifts off the boat with relative ease
and begins to make his way through the ocean until he reaches the deck of the Royal Navy's HMS Tamar.
The operator then begins to release a ladder overboard so that the Marines on
the boat can begin the boarding procedure. In other shots, Browning is seen boarding
the deck with a pistol and clearing the area before the other two jetpack operators arrive
at the location for additional support. Lieutenant Colonel Will Clarke said:
(QUOTE) “The flight suit technology tested in this trial allowed the Commando Force to experiment
with innovative methods of conducting maritime interdiction operations, and to gain insights
into its potential to enable vertical access in the complex urban-littoral environment.”
Although the technology is still not ready for military adoption as the jetpack user
remains very vulnerable during flight, the Royal Marines have manifested their interest
in the future development of Gravity’s project. In addition, Gravity’s jetpack was also leased to
NATO for Mountain Warfare Rescue Exercises in Slovenia. The jet suit was used by an
operator to conduct a rescue mission and provide medical care to a wounded soldier.
In the footage shown, NATO operators are seen in the mountains attempting to rescue the wounded man
who desperately needs blood plasma. The jet suit user carrying the plasma
is then launched for rapid support assistance. After making his way through the landscape,
he delivers the much-needed supplies and helps rescue the wounded man.
Gravity has also cooperated with local search and rescue organizations in the United Kingdom
to help rescue civilians in the wild, and recently cooperated
with the Special Forces of the Netherlands for an urban operation to hunt down a rogue gunman.
The video captures the tactical value of the Gravity suit, as the operator is
seen gaining access to top cover positions and identifying the criminal before he runs away.
Then, while the special operators approach the hot zone, the jetpack user maneuvers
through the buildings, identifies the criminal, and traps him. Moments later,
the operators seize the area and terminate the enemy.
Other than its military usage, Gravity has also leased its jet suit for entertainment purposes
and has participated in the popular program ‘Top Gear,’ where Browning defeated a top-of-the-line
racing car in a very tight race. Moreover, Gravity also made an appearance at San Diego’s
Comic-Con to promote its Iron Man jet suit and demonstrate that not only superheroes can fly.
For the time being, Browning and his Gravity team are hard at work to continue innovating
with their unique jet pack for more uses that will make a difference in the field.
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