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The Bell Rocket Belt is a low-power rocket propulsion device that allows an individual to safely travel or leap over small distances. It is a type of rocket pack.


Overview

Bell Aerosystems The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many ...
began development of a rocket pack which it called the "Bell Rocket Belt" or "man-rocket" for the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in the mid 1950s. It was demonstrated in 1961 but 5 gallons of
hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3 ...
as fuel for 21 seconds of flight time did not impress the army and development was cancelled. This concept was revived in the 1990s and today these packs can provide powerful, manageable thrust. This rocket belt's propulsion works with superheated water vapour. A
gas cylinder A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel for storage and containment of gases at above atmospheric pressure. High-pressure gas cylinders are also called ''bottles''. Inside the cylinder the stored contents may be in a state of compressed gas, vap ...
contains
nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
gas, and two cylinders containing highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. The nitrogen presses the hydrogen peroxide onto a catalyst, which decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into a mixture of superheated
steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizatio ...
and
oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...
with a temperature of about 740 °C. This was led by two insulated curved tubes to two nozzles where it blasted out, supplying the propulsion. The pilot can vector the thrust by altering the direction of the nozzles through hand-operated controls. To protect from resulting burns the pilot had to wear insulating clothes. The Bell Rocket Belt was successful and popular but was limited in its potential uses to the Army due to limited fuel storage. As a result, the Army turned its attention to missile development, and the Rocket Belt project was discontinued. One Bell Rocket Belt is on display at the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...
's,
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the N ...
annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, located near Dulles Airport. Another resides at the State University of New York at Buffalo's Department of
Industrial and Systems Engineering Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles. At its core, systems engineering utilizes systems thinking p ...
. It has been used in presentations at
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and at the
1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...
and
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
opening ceremonies. It has also been seen in movies and on television. This type of rocket belt was used in the 1965 James Bond film '' Thunderball''. It also made an appearance in the ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'' television series as well as the 1976 CBS Saturday morning children's live action TV show '' Ark II''.


History

Wendell F. Moore began working on a rocket pack as early as 1953 (possibly, after learning about Thomas Moore's work) while working as an engineer at
Bell Aerosystems The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many ...
. Experiments began in the mid-1950s. Developing the engine did not present difficulties — the application of hydrogen peroxide was well developed by
missile In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
men. The main problem was achieving stable and steady flight; for this, a reliable and convenient control system had to be developed. In 1959 the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
contracted Aerojet General to conduct feasibility studies on a Rocket Belt and contracted
Bell Aerosystems The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many ...
to develop a Small Rocket Lift Device (SRLD). The experimental rig, which worked on compressed nitrogen, was prepared. Its steel tubing frame allowed a tester to be attached to the rig. Two hinged nozzles were set on the frame. Nitrogen at 35 atmospheres (3.5 MPa) was supplied to the nozzles by flexible hoses. An engineer-operator on the ground regulated the supply of nitrogen through a valve. Additionally, the tester regulated the thrust using levers under his shoulders. The tester inclined the nozzles forward and backward, trying to reach stable hovering at a limited height. A safety tether was attached from below, so that the rig and tester could not fly too high.


Testing

The first tests showed that the human body was a very unstable platform. Testing found the best arrangement for the jet nozzles relative to the center of gravity of both the pilot and pack that allowed for directional control. Wendell Moore and other members of his group participated in the test flights. These first flights were just sharp leaps, but proved the concept and persuaded the military to fund development. The Bell company was awarded a contract to develop, flight test, and demonstrate a practical SRLD. A rocket motor with a thrust of 280 pounds-force (1.25 kN or 127 kgf) was chosen. The pack with its fuel weighed 125 lb (57 kg). The pack had a
fiberglass Fiberglass ( American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...
frame contoured to fit the operator's body, secured with straps, and cylinders of fuel and nitrogen were attached to the frame. The motor was fastened using a hinged assembly that was controlled by levers under the shoulders while thrust was controlled through a regulator assembly connected to a throttle handle on the right lever of the device. The handle on the left lever governed the slant of the (jetavators) nozzles. Tests of the pack began toward the end of 1960 and were performed in a large hangar with a safety tether. Wendell Moore completed the first 20 tethered takeoffs while making incremental improvements. On 17 February 1961, the pack veered sharply, reaching the end of the safety tether, which then broke, causing Moore to fall approximately 2.5 meters, breaking his
kneecap The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as m ...
and rendering him unfit for further flights. Engineer Harold Graham took over as
test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
and testing resumed on 1 March. He then carried out 36 more tethered tests which enabled them to achieve stable control of the pack. On 20 April 1961 (the week after
Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. T ...
's flight), on a vacant spot near the
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...
airport, the first free flight of a rocket pack was performed. Harold Graham reached a height of approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters), and then flew smoothly forward at a speed of approximately 10 km/h for a distance of 108 feet (less than 35 meters) and then landed. The flight lasted 13 seconds. In subsequent flights Graham learned how to control the pack and perform more complex maneuvers: flying in a circle and turning on a spot. He flew over streams and cars, ten-meter hills, and between trees. From April through May 1961 Graham carried out 28 additional flights. Wendell Moore worked to achieve reliability from the pack and confident piloting from Graham in preparation of presenting the rocket pack to the public. In the course of testing, maximums of duration and distance were achieved: duration 21 seconds; range 120 m; height 10 m; speed, 55 km/h.


Demonstrations

On 8 June 1962, the pack was publicly demonstrated for the first time before several hundred officers at the Fort Eustis military base. Other public demonstrations then followed, including the famous flight in
the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
courtyard. On that day Harold Graham flew before 3000 members of the military department, who observed with enthusiasm. On 11 October 1961, (according to other data, 12 October) the pack was demonstrated personally to President John F. Kennedy in the course of experimental maneuvers on the military base Fort Bragg. Graham took off from an amphibious LST, flew over a strip of water, and landed in front of the President. Harold Graham and a support crew travelled to many cities in the USA. They visited Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, and France, as well as other countries. Each time they successfully demonstrated the rocket pack in action before the public. However, the army was disappointed. The maximum duration of flight of the rocket pack was 21 seconds, with a range of only 120 m. A large contingent of service personnel needed to accompany the rocket pack. During flight 5 U.S. gallons (19 liters) of
hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3 ...
was expended. In the opinion of the military, the "Bell Rocket Belt" was more a spectacular toy than an effective means of transport. The army spent $150,000 on the Bell Aerosystems contract. Bell spent an additional $50,000. The army refused any further expenditure on the SRLD program, and the contract was cancelled.


Design

The rocket could carry a man over 9-m-high obstacles and reached a speed of 11 to 16 km/h. However, its flying time was limited to 20 seconds. A later advancement during the years 1995-2000 could not improve the flying time to any more than 30 seconds. Apart from the extremely limited working time, this rocket belt did not allow for a controlled landing should its drive fail, as it would operate at altitudes far too low for a
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, w ...
to function. This represents a substantial safety risk and differentiates the rocket belt from
airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad ...
s and
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
s, which can land safely without power by gliding or autorotation.


Operating principle

All existing rocket packs are based on the construction of the "Bell Rocket Belt" pack, developed in 1960-1969 by Wendell Moore. Moore's pack has two major parts: * Rigid glass-plastic corset (8), strapped to the pilot (10). The corset has a tubular metallic frame on the back, on which are fixed three
gas cylinder A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel for storage and containment of gases at above atmospheric pressure. High-pressure gas cylinders are also called ''bottles''. Inside the cylinder the stored contents may be in a state of compressed gas, vap ...
s: two with liquid hydrogen peroxide (6), and one with compressed nitrogen (7). When the pilot is on the ground, the corset distributes the weight of the pack to the pilot's back. * The rocket engine, able to move on a ball and socket joint (9) in the upper part of the corset. The rocket engine consists of a gas generator (1) and two pipes (2) rigidly connected with it, which end with jet nozzles with controlled tips (3). The engine is rigidly connected to two levers, which are passed under the pilot's hands. Using these levers the pilot inclines the engine forward or back and to the sides. On the right lever is the thrust control throttle (5), connected via a cable to the regulator valve (4) to supply fuel to the engine. On the left lever is the steering handle, which moves the tips of the jet nozzles, allowing the pilot to control his yaw. The whole construction is simple and reliable; except for the regulator valve and steerable nozzles, the rocket engine has no moving parts. * The figure at right shows the engine, hydrogen peroxide cylinders and compressed nitrogen cylinder (pressure c. 40 atm or 4 MPa). * The pilot turns the engine thrust control handle, opening the regulator valve (3). * Compressed nitrogen (1) displaces liquid hydrogen peroxide (2), which is piped to the gas generator (4). * There it contacts the catalyst (thin
silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
plates, covered with a layer of
samarium Samarium is a chemical element with symbol Sm and atomic number 62. It is a moderately hard silvery metal that slowly oxidizes in air. Being a typical member of the lanthanide series, samarium usually has the oxidation state +3. Compounds of samar ...
nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are soluble in water. An example of an insolu ...
) and decomposes. * The resulting hot high-pressure mixture of steam and oxygen gas enters two pipes, which emerge from the gas generator. * These pipes are covered with a layer of insulation to reduce heat loss. * Then the hot gases enter the jet nozzles (
De Laval nozzle A de Laval nozzle (or convergent-divergent nozzle, CD nozzle or con-di nozzle) is a tube which is pinched in the middle, making a carefully balanced, asymmetric hourglass shape. It is used to accelerate a compressible fluid to supersonic speeds ...
s), where they are first constricted, then allowed to expand, thereby accelerating them to
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
speed and creating reactive thrust.


Piloting

The pack has two levers, rigidly connected to the engine installation. Pressing on these levers, the pilot deflects the nozzles back, and the pack flies forward. Accordingly, raising this lever makes the pack move back. It is possible to lean the engine installation to the sides (because of the ball and socket joint) to fly sideways. Control with the aid of the lever is somewhat rough; for finer control the pilot uses a handle on the left lever. This handle governs the tips of the jet nozzles. The tips (jetavators) are spring-opposed and can, with the aid of the flexible thrusts, be slanted forward or back. The pilot inclines the handle forward or back and slants both nozzle tips at the same time to fly
straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * ...
. If pilot must turn, he turns handle, to slant the nozzles in opposite directions, one forward, another back, turning the pilot and the pack around its axis. By the combination of different motions of lever handles the pilot can fly any way, even sideways, to turn, rotate on the spot, etc. The pilot can control his rocket pack's flight differently, by changing the
center of gravity In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force ma ...
of his body. For example, if we bend the legs and raise them to the stomach, the center of gravity will move forwards, and pack will be inclined and it will also fly forward. Such a control of pack, with the aid of the body, is considered incorrect and is characteristic of novices. Most experienced pilot Bill Suitor asserts that during the flight it is necessary to hold legs together and straight, and to control flight by the pack's levers and handles. This is the only way to learn to competently pilot the pack and to confidently carry out complex aerial maneuvers. The throttle handle is on the right lever. In the closed position it completely shuts the fuel regulator valve, stopping fuel from reaching the engine. Turning the handle counterclockwise, the pilot increases the engine thrust. During servicing of the pack with compressed nitrogen the handle is held in the closed position with a shear pin for safety. The pilot's timer is on the same handle. Since the pack has fuel for only for 21 seconds of flight, it is critical to know when the pack will run out of fuel, so that the pilot can safely land before his tanks are empty. Before the flight the timer is set for 21 seconds. When the pilot turns the handle for the takeoff, the timer begins counting and will give second-by-second signals to a buzzer in the pilot's helmet. In 15 seconds the signal becomes continuous, telling the pilot that it is time to land.


Special features of flights of the Bell Rocket Belt

The pack's pilot wears protective overalls made of thermal resistant material, since the exhaust jet and the engine's pipes are very hot. He also wears a crash helmet containing hearing protection and the buzzer for the low-fuel warning timer. The rocket thrust-chamber's supersonic exhaust jet makes a deafeningly loud (130
decibel The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a ...
s), shrill screeching sound, very different from the roar of an airplane's jet engine. The jet exhaust is transparent and usually not visible in air. But in cold weather the water vapor, which is a large part of the steam-gas mixture, condenses soon after it leaves the nozzle, enveloping the pilot in a cloud of fog (for this reason, the very first tethered flights of the Bell Rocket Belt were carried out in a hangar). The jet exhaust is also visible if the fuel is not decomposed completely in the gas generator, which can occur if the
catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
or the hydrogen peroxide is contaminated.


RB2000 Rocket Belt

In 1992 a company was formed by Brad Barker (a former insurance salesman), Joe Wright (a Houston-based businessman), and Larry Stanley (an
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...
and owner of an
oil well An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas ma ...
), after inviting professional inventor Doug Malewicki, with the goal of developing a new version of the rocket pack. By 1994 they had a working prototype, which they named "RB 2000 Rocket Belt". The "RB 2000" essentially reimplemented Wendell Moore's design using light alloys (
titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion i ...
,
aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...
) and
composite material A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...
s. It featured increased fuel stock and increased power, and the maximum duration of flight was increased to 30 seconds. It was flown on 12 June 1995 by Bill Suitor.New Scientist (October 2005), issue 2519. The partnership broke down soon thereafter, with Stanley accusing Barker of fraud and Barker taking the RB-2000 to an unknown location. A year later Stanley successfully sued Barker, who was ordered to return the RB-2000 to Stanley and pay 10 million dollars in costs and damages. When Barker refused to deliver, Stanley kidnapped him and held him captive in a box, from which Barker managed to escape after eight days. Stanley was arrested in 2002 for the kidnapping, and served an eight years sentence. Wright was murdered at his home in 1998, and the crime remains unsolved. The rocketbelt was never recovered. The story is recounted in the book ''The Rocketbelt Caper: A True Tale of Invention, Obsession and Murder'' by Paul Brown, and fictionalized in the 2008 movie ''
Pretty Bird ''Pretty Bird'' is a 2008 American comedy film. It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was released on DVD in the United States on June 29, 2010. Plot A sweet-natured guy enlists his best friend, and an engi ...
''.


Books

In 1993 a book was published by Derwin M. Beushausen entitled "Airwalker: A Date with Destiny", Rocketbelt History and Construction Plans. This was the first book ever published that went into great detail describing the history of this device and how to actually build it. In 2000 another book was published by Derwin M. Beushausen entitled "The Amazing Rocketbelt" in which you could find the history and more construction plans for the rocketbelt device. In 2009 William P. Suitor published a book entitled "Rocketbelt Pilot's Manual" A Guide by the Bell Test Pilot. In this book Mr. Suitor describes the rocketbelt in great detail, including servicing, fueling, and even step by step flying lessons. This is the first book ever published on the rocketbelt device by a man that has actually flown it over the years.


Specifications


See also

* Bell Pogo - a two-man flying platform based on the Bell Rocket Belt *
Jet pack A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...
- includes the Bell Jet Flying Belt, the RB2000 Rocket Belt, the Moore Jet vest, and the Thiokol Jump Belt * ''
Pretty Bird ''Pretty Bird'' is a 2008 American comedy film. It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was released on DVD in the United States on June 29, 2010. Plot A sweet-natured guy enlists his best friend, and an engi ...
'' * '' The Rocketeer''


References

{{Reflist


External links


#1 info site
#1 rocket- and jetbelt infosite
TAM Rocket Belt
- The website of the company that makes the Rocket Belt.
The Rocketman
- The website of the company performing Rocketbelt flights today.
Thomas Moore's Jetvest
(1950s) 1960s United States aircraft Jet pack