Back in March of this year, inventor and entrepreneur Richard Browning founded Gravity Industries with a goal of, according to the company’s website, “re-imagining human flight and pioneering aeronautical innovation.” In other words, he wanted to fly … really fast … but without a plane.
To accomplish this goal, he’s mounted a collection of kerosene-fueled jet engines to an exoskeleton body suit that allows for vertical take-off and flight. Dubbed the Daedalus, the mark 1 jet-engine suit recently set a world record for the fastest speed ever recorded in a body-controlled jet engine power suit.
The suit, which reportedly cost him more than $50,000 to build, weighs just under 100 pounds. It registered 32 mph to set the record while flying across a lake in the UK.
But before you think you have the stuff to be the next Tony Stark, consider that Browning is not only an inventor but a triathlete, ultra-marathon runner, and endurance canoeist. These credentials mean he’s capable of not only handling the 100-pound load but has the strength and endurance necessary to actually steer while taking flight.