The world’s first jet-suit race zoomed around the Dubai Marina this week with racers donning Iron Man-esque technology darting around floating buoys, hoping to cross the finishing line in a very noisy blaze of glory.
The race on Wednesday, February 28, was organized by Gravity Industries, a UK-based aeronautical tech company that specializes in high-powered jet suits.
As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Issa Kalfon was crowned the winner, earning himself a ceremonial gold jet turbine.
All went smoothly, aside from a minor mess-up by Emirati pilot Ahmed al-Shehhi who reportedly crashed into the water during his heat. Fortunately, he quickly rose to the water’s surface and gave a thumbs-up before being picked up by a rescue crew.
Inspired by F1 technology, the suits feature five gas turbine propulsion assemblies fitted on the arms and back, capable of generating over 1,000 horsepower. This allows the racer to pick up speeds of up to 128 kilometers (80 miles) per hour. The suits can typically stay airborne for just 3 minutes, although it’s possible to fly for over 7 minutes if conditions are optimal.
If the suits remind you of a certain billionaire superhero, you’re not alone. It seems that the founder of Gravity Industries also drew on the Marvel universe for some inspiration.
“The closest analogy would be that dream of flying… and then go wherever your mind is taking you,” Richard Browning, the founder and chief test pilot for Gravity Industries, told the AP after the Dubai race.
“And yes, the world of Marvel superheroes and DC Comics, they have created that dream book with CGI, and we’ve got the closest I think anybody’s ever got to delivering that for real,” Browning added.
Understandably, the technology doesn’t come cheap. If you fancy getting your hands on a custom-made jet suit costs from Gravity Industries, expect a price tag of at least £380,000 ($479,770) plus VAT.
It isn’t all fun and games, though. Gravity Industries has previously demonstrated have their Avengers-style jetpacks could be used by paramedics to reach treacherous mountain areas. They’ve also suggested it could be used by police forces to hunt down criminals on the run.
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