British inventor creates Iron Man suit that allows him to ‘fly’

A British inventor and tinkerer has built a suit that allows him to fly around as Iron Man. At least that’s the idea: in reality, the suit makes it float just above the ground, but it looks impressive nonetheless.

Richard Browning used six jet engines for his invention that are glued to his body. Although that sounds dangerous, the British inventor himself thinks that riding a mountain bike carries more risks. The engines run on kerosene, with the reason that there is little chance of explosion. Browning also has to hold down a button at all times to keep it running, he tells TechCrunch. To be on the safe side, he does wear a fireproof overall.

The suit Browning wears is reminiscent of Iron Man, the famous character from the Marvel universe. While Browning’s suit, which he has named Daedalus, can only float slightly above the ground, it caught the attention of investors, including Red Bull, who have invested money in the development.

For the time being, the maker only uses the suit for demonstrations. However, there are also serious applications, such as use in rescue missions. This will probably require some improvements. It is unclear whether there are already parties that are interested in the Iron Man suit.