De Lackner(01 of11)
Open Image ModalEarly Individual Lift Devices started out rather pedestrian. The De Lackner was pretty much an upside-down helicopter but the big advantage was in how it was controlled. The pilot leaned the way he wanted to go – he just had to do it carefully so as not to fall into the counter-rotating blades beneath his feet.
Hiller flying platforms (02 of11)
Open Image ModalHiller flying platforms were also held aloft by large spinning blades beneath the operator but they were housed in a duct which made the platform look a little safer. Still, what could the operator accomplish while hovering?
Jump belts(03 of11)
Open Image ModalVarious companies pitched the notion of a “jump belt” wherein rocket blasts would push or lift a soldier across a battlefield. These bursts, measured in mere seconds, did not accomplish as much as one would have hoped considering the money spent developing them.
The Bell rocket belt (04 of11)
Open Image ModalThe Bell rocket belt was a major breakthrough. It allowed a pilot to fly for 21 seconds on a controlled blast of hydrogen peroxide generated steam. This is the device that was most widely publicized and became known to many as a “jet pack.”
Hydrogen peroxide jet packs(05 of11)
Open Image ModalBell substituted a miniature jet engine for the hydrogen peroxide tanks and suddenly they had a device which could fly for minutes instead of just seconds. But, it was rather expensive to build and still took two hands to fly. What was the practical application?
Jet Belt vs Rocket Belt(06 of11)
Open Image ModalJet belt on the left, rocket belt on the right.
The WASP(07 of11)
Open Image ModalSearching for even longer flight times, developers modified the engine from the jet belt and built a platform around it. The WASP (Williams Aerial Systems Platform) allows for even longer flight times and can be flown by a non-pilot who simply leans the direction in which he wants to go. It is expensive and the military, again, wonders what the practical application is.
Rocket Belt at the Olympics(08 of11)
Open Image Modal Meanwhile, hobbyists and others keep the rocket belt technology alive. Building the belts on their own, these entrepreneurs provide belts and pilots for flights on television shows and movies, and events like the 1984 Olympics opening ceremonies.
Hobbyists and rocket belts(09 of11)
Open Image ModalAn inventor solves the problem of flight times by creating the Jet Lev, which tethers to a fuel supply, trading flight duration (longer) for freedom (less).
The Flying Wing(10 of11)
Open Image ModalSwiss pilot Yves Rossy develops his flying wing, powered by miniature jet engines. He can fly vast distances at great speeds, but launches by dropping out of airplanes or helicopters.It is personal flight, but he cannot launch from the ground.
Go Fast! rocket belt(11 of11)
Open Image ModalMeanwhile the rocket belts continue flying, now in the hands of professional rocket belt pilots and even some amateurs. Here, a professional pilot flies a belt owned by Go Fast! energy supplements.