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Real-life Iron Man on what it's like to fly a Jet Suit

A childhood spent building rockets helped Sam Rogers become the person who flies in a gas-turbine-powered Jet Suit

25 September 2019

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Alamy

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I always liked the idea of becoming an inventor similar to Caractacus Potts from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and to build and fly rockets.

Explain your work in one easy paragraph.

I am part of the team at Gravity Industries that built the gas-turbine-powered Jet Suit. I design the components to be optimal for 3D printing, meaning we can produce more lightweight and more efficient parts. Almost all of the suit’s components can now be 3D printed.

I also flight test the equipment. We are continually working…

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