The jetpack has been part of popular culture, no matter if it was real or a joke. It's also featured in many science fiction movies and TV shows. Some of the most famous movies and TV shows that have featured jetpacks are the Star Wars movies and TV shows.
Amazing Stories published a 1928 story about a man who flew on a jetpack. This idea would soon become very popular in both the 1920s & 1930s. It was also popularized later in science fiction novels. In the 1950s and 1960s there were many science fiction novels that featured jetpacks. Some of these stories were inspired by The Skylark of Space, a movie about a rocket man who piloted a rocket to space. Other stories would show a single soldier being transported to battle by a flying rucksack. Bell Aerosystems developed the jetpack technology for US Space Program in the 1960s. Williams Research Corporation and Bell Aerosystems were the first to do so.
The Bell Aerosystems jetpack was known as the Bell Rocket Belt and was a two-jet pack, which could propel the wearer upwards for 21 seconds. The Rocket Belt was successfully tested by Bell Aerosystems during the 1960s. A contract was signed with DARPA in 1965. It was made from hydrogen peroxide, pressurised nitrogen. It was a simple two jet pack that could be strapped on to the back.
Bell Aerosystems also developed the Bell Pogo system, which was designed to carry astronauts to the moon. The modified aircraft engine that powered the system was chosen for its power. It was originally developed for NASA, but was adopted by the US Army. It was eventually developed into the Bell Jet Flying Belt. It was lightweight and could fly for as much as seven metres with a maximum height of 25 minutes.
Bell Aerosystems and Williams Research Corporation developed a new jetpack, called the Jet Flying Belt. It was intended to be powered with a turbojet engine. It had a rated thrust power of 1,900 Newtons. It was designed so that a pilot could be carried up to seven metres high and reach a maximum flight speed (30 mph).
Bell Aerosystems was the premier postwar jet age aviation company. The Bell Rocket Belt was the company's first jetpack, and the Jet Flying Belt followed. After conducting research on missile engine designs, the company invented the Jet Flying Belt. It was backed by $3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency. In January 2005, it was successfully tested.
Williams Research Corporation developed a new turbojet engine for Bell Aerosystems in 1969. The WR19 engine weighed 68 lbs and had a thrust rating of 1,900 Newtons. It was designed to Bell's specifications.
Bell Aerosystems also developed the Bell Pogo system. It was based upon a modified aircraft engine and could power flight. It was intended to be used on the moon by US astronauts. It was created for NASA and the US Army.