Gravity Industries Demoes Flight Suit for Royal Navy on Ship to Ship tests

Gravity Industries has been experimenting with its own personal flgiht suit. Many people have called it the Iron Man suit, but it's more the spiritual successor of the old jetpacks. However, rather than hydrogen peroxide rockets, the Daedalus suit, as it is really called, uses actual small jet engines. These are very similar to the hobbyist JetCat and other micro turbines.

The current Daedalus suit is on its second iteration. Originally, there were two smaller engines in the backpack with the fuel. There were also four engines on the arms for stability control. The recent update has consolidated the two backpack engines into one, larger engine. The flight capability has increased from 30 odd mph to around 50 mph.

Recently, Gravity Industries did a demo for the Royal Navy where the founder flew from a patrol boat to rigid inflatable boats and back. The boats were all going 20 knots and the pilot flitted from one to the next pretty easily. The tests were conducted off the Isle of Wight. This is not the first demo by GI for the Brits. The current demo was to do a proof of concept for ship boarding operations for scenarios like pirates, etc. Past demoes were for the Royal Marines.



Clearly, more work would be needed to make it useful for actually using in a situation where weapons might be used, but it does give a hint of what may be coming. Or perhaps, the Brits were concerned about the Green Goblin invasion attempt enough to seek a counter.

More info:

www.thedrive.com...

This is really, really cool.

a reply to: anzha

Okay, thats just cool as #@$%. Wish we could of seen the whole aparatus, but I suspect its being held pretty top secret.

Iron Man suit may not be far off, what 10 years given bionics, brain machine interface tech...really cool!


Aah theres a second video! Thanks

a reply to: anzha

Kinda makes that French hover board look junior varsity

a reply to: anzha

Good, safe way to move between ships. Some of the stories I've heard are the thing of horror.

That's amazing, but they better be damn careful. Imagine if one of the engines cuts out mid-throttle, turning you into a an uncontrollable rag doll of g-force and you just smash into the water.

I'm sure there are safeguards in place though, right? Like an auto killswitch to engines if one cuts out?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: anzha

Good, safe way to move between ships. Some of the stories I've heard are the thing of horror.

Safe? I've been to the North Atlantic. The last thing I would want to do is go from one destroyer to another with a jet pack with 15 foot swells. That's what the British were calling calm seas.

Come to think of it, I remember a few officers I would love to see try. I'd start a betting board. 20-1 the XO winds up straddling the 102mm.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Considering one story I once heard involved an officer on a line being dunked, launched and crushed, and his body never recovered, in calm seas, I'd take my chances thanks.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'd be saluting you with greasy hands and a smile on my face as you took off while clutching my ticket. C'mon antenna dish, daddy needs a new pool stick.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Not disagreeing.

While I get his placement and choices for the engines, I'd be wildly worried about redundancy.

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: Zaphod58

Not disagreeing.

While I get his placement and choices for the engines, I'd be wildly worried about redundancy.

People traverse large bodies of water every day strapped inside small single engine aircraft, I'd hazard a guess at it being safe enough.

I'd have a go anyway, that thing is sick 🤙🏻

Just hope the flotation is higher than the weight of the engines and assorted rig.
Might be a cheaper way of operating a CAP :-P
or the Navy intrudes a new way of training for Skeet shooting..:-P

theaviationist.com... er/

So many superlatives here..
Shark bait,new targetting drones for Navy trialled,still cheaper than an F35,new missile Guidance system trialled,Pizza Hut starts new rapid delivery system for Navy,Captain needs to return his DVD rental before end of business...Shall we continue?

a reply to: anzha

Best not let the Iranians get their hands on one and let them reverse manufacture it. Adds a whole new dimension to their swarms of motor boats coming at western vessels

a reply to: Zaphod58

High seas generally go hand in hand with strong winds.

Ship to ship transport in one of these things could be just as dicey.

Personally i would rather be attached to something during such a risky business.

The technology is fabulous all the same.

a reply to: andy06shake

I'll take my chances with this thing. The Navy has had some truly unbelievable instances of killing people trying to go between ships.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Herd some horrendous stories from my old Grandpa when he was still alive regarding ship to ship transfer of both Man and supplies during WW2.

Still, don't see these things working out to well in strong gale-force winds or seas where simply moving around the weather deck can be a dangerous experience in the extreme.

Obviously something to it if they are willing to try it all the same.

a reply to: andy06shake

You're not going to be trying to move between ships in gale force winds though. With this, or any other method.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Probably not now all the same short of an emergency that would warrant such.

If it was the only way off, high winds or otherwise it might be better off than going into the water all the same.