How I built a jet suit | Richard Browning

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Richard Browning describes building a jet-powered exoskeleton by augmenting the human body with micro gas turbines, iterating through many failures until achieving stable flight. He frames the project as both a technical breakthrough and a tribute to his inventor father, arguing that human ingenuity plus the right technology can unlock extraordinary new forms of flight.

Main Topics: Augmenting the human body for flight (Priority: 5/5): Browning’s core idea is that the human mind and body are already remarkable, and that adding the right technology can enable flight in a new way. Iterative experimentation and failure (Priority: 5/5): He emphasizes repeated trial-and-error—testing different engine configurations, falling over, and learning from mistakes—as the path to progress. Engineering the jet suit (Priority: 5/5): The talk traces the evolution from one turbine to multiple turbines, harnesses, arm/leg placement, and onboard electronics to create controllable lift. Achieving stable, coherent flight (Priority: 4/5): Browning highlights the moment the system first produced a short, coherent flight and later improved stability and control without wires. Future applications and accessibility (Priority: 4/5): He suggests future versions could become safer and more widely usable, though practical everyday use remains distant. Personal motivation and tribute (Priority: 4/5): The project is also presented as a tribute to his father, an inventor whose unrealized ambitions inspired Browning’s work.

Key Arguments: Human flight can be approached by augmenting the body rather than replacing it with a conventional aircraft. Rapid experimentation and failure are essential to innovation; each broken setup taught the team what not to do. A small micro gas turbine can generate enough thrust to make human-powered jet flight possible. Stability and control are as important as raw thrust; the system only became viable once balance and handling improved. The technology is still early, but it could eventually be adapted for broader, safer experiences beyond demonstrations. The project carries emotional significance because it fulfills, in part, the inventor spirit of Browning’s father.

Data Points: Initial thrust: around 50 kilos of thrust - Browning describes the output from two micro gas turbines held horizontally in a field. Engine count progression: 1, then 2, then 4, then 5, then 3 per arm, then 1 per leg and 2 per arm - He walks through successive prototype configurations and failures. First coherent flight duration: 6 seconds - He identifies the first reasonably coherent flight as the breakthrough moment. Arm load in failed configuration: 70 kilos on each arm - He explains why the three-on-each-arm setup was abandoned. Time reference: some 40 years later - He references the long gap between his father’s 1970s flight-related gift and the project’s development.

Pivotal Quotes: "the human mind and body ... is an amazing construct. And what if you augmented that wonderful machine with just the right technology?" — Richard Browning: He states the central hypothesis behind the jet suit project. "This was our first six-second reasonably coherent flight." — Richard Browning: He marks the breakthrough moment when the concept became real. "I still love watching this one." — Richard Browning: He reflects on the first successful flight footage with visible excitement and pride.

Implications: The talk suggests future mobility may come from human-machine augmentation, not just vehicles. It also shows how persistent prototyping can turn radical ideas into working systems, with potential uses in entertainment, rescue, and specialized transport.