Gravity Industries Brings Out The Stark in Everyone
Gravity Industries is the British company founded by Richard Browning in 2017 that built the world's first real jet suit: a body-mounted propulsion system powered by miniature jet engines that enables genuine human flight. Where Tony Stark had Hollywood CGI, Browning has kerosene, turbines, and a Guinness World Record set at 51.53 km/h. The Gravity jet suit is not a concept. It flies.
How the Gravity Industries Jet Suit Works
The suit uses five micro gas turbines: two mounted on each forearm and one larger unit on the back. Combined, they produce over 1,050 horsepower and around 317 pounds of thrust. The back engine provides the primary vertical lift, while the four arm-mounted units give the pilot directional control. Tilt your arms forward and you accelerate. Spread them and you climb. The exoskeleton frame distributes the load across the body, making the system wearable for trained pilots without structural injury. Fuel is kerosene jet A-1, carried in a small tank integrated into the harness. A helmet-mounted holographic display shows remaining fuel and flight data in real time.
Flight Performance and the Guinness World Record
At its debut, Richard Browning flew 100 metres over Lagoona Park lake in Reading, England, reaching 51.53 km/h and claiming the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed in a body-controlled jet engine powered suit. Since then, the technology has evolved considerably. Gravity Industries has completed over 45 test flights across 16 countries. The Mk2 suit, covered in detail by Robb Report, extended flight time to around seven minutes on a full tank and pushed top recorded speeds past 130 km/h. In February 2024, Gravity Industries partnered with the Dubai Sports Council to run the world's first jet suit race, with eight competitors from eight countries flying a timed course above the city, as reported by CNN.
Who Is Richard Browning?
Browning is a former Royal Marines reservist and ex-BP oil trader who spent two years building and testing prototypes in his garden shed before founding Gravity Industries. His stated mission is to augment the human body and mind through patent-pending propulsion technology. The suit is not a jetpack strapped to a backpack: the pilot's body is the airframe, the arms are the control surfaces, and the entire system is designed to be operated intuitively after training. Gravity Industries offers jet suit training experiences to a select number of clients, and the suit itself is available for purchase at around $440,000.
Where Does This Fit in the World of Personal Flight?
The Gravity jet suit sits at the extreme end of personal aviation: physically demanding, pilot-skill dependent, and entirely exhilarating. It is the most visceral human flight experience available outside of military aircraft. For those drawn to the broader world of personal flight and advanced mobility, TheArsenale carries the AeroMobil flying car as well as TheArsenale flight suit in orange and black for pilots and aviation enthusiasts who want to look the part on the ground. The full range of aircraft and flying vehicles is in the air collection.
