The worldly concern ’s first jet - suit race zoomed around the Dubai Marina this week with racers put on Iron Man - esque engineering science darting around float buoy , hoping to queer the finishing bank line in a very noisy glare of glory .
The race on Wednesday , February 28 , was organized by Gravity Industries , a UK - based aeronautical tech company that specializes in gamey - powered jet suits .
As report bythe Associated Press ( AP ) , Issa Kalfon was crowned the winner , earning himself a ceremonial atomic number 79 jet turbine .
All went swimmingly , aside from a venial great deal - up by Emirati pilot film Ahmed al - Shehhi who reportedly crashed into the piddle during his heating system . fortuitously , he quickly rose to the water ’s control surface and gave a thumb - up before being picked up by a deliverance crew .
urge on by F1 technology , the suitsfeature five gasolene turbine actuation fabrication go on the blazonry and back , capable of generating over 1,000 H.P. . This allows the racer to pick up velocity of up to 128 kilometers ( 80 naut mi ) per hour . The lawsuit can typically stay airborne for just 3 minutes , although it ’s possible to fly for over 7 minute if conditions are optimal .
If the causa remind you of a sure billionaire superhero , you ’re not alone . It seems that the founder of Gravity Industries also describe on the Marvel universe of discourse for some intake .
“ The closest analogy would be that dream of flying … and then go wherever your intellect is take you , ” Richard Browning , the founding father and main test pilot for Gravity Industries , told the AP after the Dubai wash .
“ And yes , the world of Marvel superheroes and DC Comics , they have created that dream book with CGI , and we ’ve stimulate the close I think anybody ’s ever got to delivering that for veridical , ” Browning added .
Understandably , the engineering science does n’t come gimcrack . If you image getting your hands on a custom - made jet courtship costs from Gravity Industries , expect a price ticket of at least £ 380,000 ( $ 479,770 ) plus VAT .
It is n’t all fun and game , though . Gravity Industries haspreviously demonstratedhave their Avengers - style jetpacks could be used by paramedics to reach treacherous mountain areas . They ’ve also suggested itcould be used by police force forcesto hunting down criminals on the test .
