You know that feeling you get after you watch a superhero blockbuster like Iron Man when you’re all bright-eyed and enthralled by the possibilities of the future?
Well, this guy took his fascination with science and technology to the next level. British inventor Richard Browning’s obsession with flight, combined with a healthy dose of tenacious determination (and lots of trial and error), resulted in him creating an Iron Man-like jet-powered suit that actually lets him take flight. Or rather, hover a a couple of metres above ground.
In Singapore to give a talk at an event to promote science and innovation, Browning demonstrated the capabilities of his flying suit to more than 600 people outside Victoria Theatre yesterday (Aug 1). The 38-year-old — in a sleek, all-black suit that probably wouldn’t look out of place in a Marvel movie — powered up on Empress Lawn before flying around the crowd (and their smartphones) for a minute-long showcase.
If you haven’t heard of this real-life Iron Man, the former commodities trader actually embarked on his experimental journey to achieve human flight early last year. Fast forward to now, and Browning’s impressive creation has drawn interest from the likes of search-and-rescue agencies, military researchers and, of course, Hollywood producers.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), early prototypes of the suit have already been sold to “high net worth” individuals for a cool half a million.
The six-engine suit, which weighs 45kg, can apparently go “as high and as fast as you like”, Browning said. His arms are each equipped with several engines, and he brings them down to create vertical thrust when he wants to take flight. The suit can reportedly carry a person thousands of feet in the air and speed up to 450km/h, but it’ll still be a while before the public can use it for “mainstream” purposes like public transport. Sorry, folks.
But Browning is continuously working on refining his suit, which can only take off vertically at the moment — it also uses a lot of fuel, creates noise pollution and kicks up swirls of dust when he takes off. He’s looking at adding wings to his creation as well — that would allow him to glide in case of engine failure.
“The starting point for this journey was to have a huge amount of fun trying to do something that was considered impossible,” Browning told CNA.
Still curious? Watch him explain the process behind his invention below.
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