Tuesday, April 03, 2007

The Future, the way it used to be: The Bell Rocket Belt


When people think of the future the way it used to be, they almost always think of the rocket belt. Specifically, the Bell Rocket Belt. Pictured to the right is the Bell Rocket Belt Traveling Team, relaxing poolside in Williamsburg, VA. The inventor of the Rocket Belt, Wendell Moore, is the fellow leaning on the umbrella stand.

The US Army Transportation Research Command and the press got their first look at the Rocket Belt at Fort Eustis, Virginia, on June 8, 1961.

Who got to fly this masterpiece? Hal Graham. Hal Graham, who in my book is one of the 10 coolest human beings in all of history, has a fascinating website devoted to the Rocket Belt.

Here's a link to the official US Army Transportation Museum page dedicated to the Rocket Belt.
Click here to see a cool picture of another individual flying machine concept, the solar copter imagined in 1957.

Now enjoy the educational video.

4 comments:

Barbara Bruederlin said...

Hey, weren't we all supposed to be using these on a regular basis by now? I'm starting to suspect that those Jetsons were damn liars.

Johnny Yen said...

Aha! I knew it! You've got my rocket pack, Bubs!

Dino said...

cool wonder how their gas mileage is?

Joe said...

Katy, the beauty of it is that it runs on hydrogen peroxide!

Johnny, between that and X-The Unheard Music DVD I'm getting quite a stockpile. Fun little movie, btw. We have to get together again so I can return it.

Barbara, don't you feel gypped? I know I do.