The jet pack, whether it was real or fake, has been a part of popular culture since the beginnings of the space program. It is also seen in many science fiction movies. 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 became very popular in the 1920s, 1930s, and it was later popularized by science fiction novels and pulp magazines. Many science fiction novels, TV shows and movies featuring jetpacks were created in the 1950s/60s. Many of these stories were inspired from The Skylark of Space. This movie is about a man who piloted an airplane to orbit. In other stories, a flying rucksack would be used to transport a single soldier to battle. In the 1960s, Bell Aerosystems and Williams Research Corporation developed jetpack technology for the US space program.
The Bell Aerosystems Jetpack, also known as the Bell Rocket Belt, was a two-jet pack that could propel the wearer upwards for 21 second. The Rocket Belt was successfully tested by Bell Aerosystems during the 1960s. A contract was signed with DARPA in 1965. It was powered by hydrogen peroxide and pressure-release nitrogen. It was a simple, two-jet backpack that could be worn on the back of someone.
Bell Aerosystems also designed the Bell Pogo system to transport astronauts from Earth to the moon. The system was designed to be powered by a modified aircraft engine. The system was initially developed by NASA but was later adopted by the US Army. It was then developed into the Bell Jet Flying Belt. It was a lightweight jetpack that could fly for up to seven metres, with a maximum altitude of 25 minutes.
Bell Aerosystems, Williams Research Corporation and Williams also created the Jet Flying Belt jetpack. It could be powered by a turbojet engine and had a thrust rating of 1,900 tons. 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 an iconic postwar aviation company. The first company jetpack was the Bell Rocket Belt. The Jet Flying Belt was an extension of that design. After conducting missile engine tests, the company created the Jet Flying Belt. It received $3 million funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency. In January 2005, it was successfully tested.
In 1969, Williams Research Corporation built a new turbojet motor for Bell Aerosystems. The WR19 engine weighed 68 lbs. It was rated at 1,900 Newtons thrust. Bell specified the specifications of the engine.
Bell Aerosystems created the Bell Pogo, a system that was powered by a modified airplane engine. It was designed to be used by US astronauts on the moon. It was designed for NASA and the US Army and was tested between 1967-1969.