The British Military Is Interested In This New ‘Iron Man’ Suit
Watching the first Iron Man film in 2008 really tapped into the imagination of fans everywhere. The movie made the building of a super suit look like something that could happen at some point in real life. It looks like the British military is interested in making an Iron Man-type suit for defence.
Richard Browning, who is being called the Iron Man of Wiltshire, has created a flight suit that looks like something you’d see in the production process in Tony Stark’s basement.
Browning is a Royal marine reserve member, and he displayed his amazing suit at this year’s TED Conference. Browning says that the British military is already interested in his flight suit. They’re so interested in it that they are returning from their previous position of giving up on the idea of a soldier in the field being able to fly.
How does this suit actually work? Well, the suit works with 6 miniature jet engines that are attached to the exoskeleton of the suit. It has the ability to take off vertically and is controlled by moving the arms like Tony Stark does, although not as slick as the Iron Man suit. Within the helmet of the suit, the user can monitor the suits fuel consumption so they don’t fly too high or far.
The demonstration, which took place in Vancouver, had Browning fly around for nearly a minute. It wasn’t as spectacular as Stark flying into the atmosphere, but a more realistic demonstration of what this suit can do.
“I did this entirely for the same reason that you might look at a mountain and decide to climb it – for the journey and the challenge,” Browning told reporters. “My approach to flight was why not augment the human mind and body, because they are amazing machines, so I just bolted on what was missing – thrust.”
Browning states that his suit is capable of flying at 200 mph, and hit an altitude of a couple thousand feet for around 10 minutes.
Though he doesn’t think his invention is anything more than a fun toy, he does think that the future of his invention has potential.
“I think of it as a bit like a jet ski, a bit of fun or a indulgent toy, but I do have a hunch that stuff will come along to make it more practical.”
(Via The Telegraph)
Feature Image: Anthony Rubinstein/Red Bull
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