TABLE OF CONTENTS Back to the Futurel 03200000000 oooccceecceceeeeee 1 First Flights 0000000000000 ooccccceccecteeesceeeeeees 13 Rocket-Belt Construction Plans ......................... 16 Blueprints 2022002000000 ooo ooocoooecccccce cece: 34 Handling H202.000000o0 00000 ooo ccceccecceeeeee cece 57 Pilot Testing and Training ..............0................ 63 The Jet-Belt 2000000000 ccccccecceeeeeeeseeees 68 $10,000 Income Opportunity ........... 22.00.00... 70 Personal Flight Devices (Photos, Resources, and web-sites) 0.0.0.0... .cccceccveeeeuseeees 73BACK TO THE FUTURE! Thomas W. Moore / Jet-Vest Pm sure you probably heard of the movie “BACK TO THE FUTURE” and, like me, enjoyed watching it. Well, ina very real sense we are going ‘back to the future as it relates to the infancy of the incredibly futuristic invention known as the Rocket-Belt. Our journey begins with a man by the name of Thomas W. Moore and his dream of creating a device that would propel a man through the air with a rocket unit attached to his back. He thought of this idea back around 1946, but he was definitely not the first to think of it! In fact, the dream of a rocket-belt type device was conceived and gained Popularity in ‘BUCK ROGERS’ comics. There was much interest in the basic concept by many professional people, but no one had actually put effort into developing a workable unit. Mr. T.W. Moore had been working with the Von Braun rocket team at Redstone Arsenal as a civilian radar expert, and discussed the feasibility of the Jet-Vest with his colleagues in 1949, and in 1950 he submitted a formal proposal. The military granted his project $25,000 in 1952, giving him the motivation to begin testing his idea. As unbelievable as it may sound, and similar to a certain scene in the Disney movie ‘The Rocketeer’, Mr. T.W, Moore fitted the experimental Jet-Vest onto a life-size mannequin watching it jump Several feet into the air as he remotely discharged the propellant activating the device! By the way, his design for this unit had all of the controls wrapped around on the pilots’ chest, making it sort of like a vest. Thus the first unit built was named the “Jet- Vest” because of this unique fit! Though this device was ‘primitive’ according to our standards today, it was a beginning. It took a lot of faith and courage, but after experimenting with the device time and time _ again, Mr. T.W. Moore finally decided to give this device the ULTIMATE test! He Strapped the jet-vest on and 1performed the first outdoor test flight connected to a tether line for safety. It was a very short but operationally smooth flight, which he was glad to have finally accomplished. The future tests went very well as he continued to believe that he could revolutionize the way the military would conduct itself at war having available such a futuristic device. The potential for this device was there, and He knew it. The testing of the jet-vest was completely successful; unfortunately the military had other priorities facing them and decided to cut-off all further funding on the project. Project Grasshopper Men working on research at the Thiokol Chemical Corporation were deeply interested in the idea of creating a rocket propulsion device that would aid men in the military (as T.W. Moore Proposed 5 years earlier!). There were two individuals at Thiokol Labs that were working on this device: Alexander Bohr and Harry Burdett. They envisioned a device that would be worn by a soldier to improve his running and jumping skills. Thus, the name given to this research was “Project Grasshopper” and the name given to the Proposed device was the ‘Jump-Belt’. In 1958 the army became interested in Thiokol’s project, and testing began early that spring. The first successful ‘jump-belt’ test (with a 3501b / 5 second thrust) enabled the operator to jump 30 feet, leap to an altitude of 15 feet, and rn at 22mph . Harry and Alexander had hopes, with continued development, that the ‘jump-belt’ could have the capabilities available for a soldier to run 100 yards at 30mph, leap 20 feet onto a building, andeven jump across a 40 or 50 foot wide stream! In their continued research they had to find the right fuel and figure out the best way of fitting the unit onto the pilots body. They experimented with nitrogen bottles strapped on a backpack close to the body’s center of gravity, then as they went further into development, they used propellant canisters to replace the nitrogen bottles. In 1958 at Fort Benning, Mr. Bohr and Mr. Burdett demonstrated the jump-belts capabilities for military application. The control of the jump-belt relied basically on body action. The thrust was triggered by the pilot twisting a handgrip attached by acord. The jump-belt showed itself to increase the operators natural abilities by the release of thrust. As mentioned earlier, this increased mobility would come in handy as a tool for the basic infantryman in a combat situation. 2The Aeropak SRLD As the Thiokol Chemical Corporation lost the bid to research this new SRLD (Small Rocket Lift Device) technology, the Aerojet General Corporation stepped in and was selected to continue the development of a device which would increase a soldiers mobility. They decided that a strap-on rocket-pack would work best to achieve this goal. George Trudeau and his staff headed up the research on this project, and decided to focus on some crucial points. One, they needed to find the safest and most powerful fuel available and two, they needed to develop a system to control the thrust produced by the device. As a result of intensive studies, they decided on Hydrogen Peroxide as the fuel mainly because of its discharge characteristics and the ease by which it could be regulated. A slightly more difficult task was to develop a stable and easily maneuverable system which would fit on the pilots back without it being too cumbersome. The engineers considered many things including the pilots center of gravity, his weight, the type of ignition, the means by which the system would be controlled, the weight of the unit, as well as it’s thrust capabilities, and many more vital aspects. After much debate, they decided on a thrust-vector system with gimbaled nozzles to control pitch, and jetavators to control yaw. This decision was met with overwhelming approval and was used in the final stages of Aerojet’s development of their rocket-pack dubbed the *Aeropak’. By early 1959 they had a workable unit which they decided to test at the Azusa proving grounds in California. George Trudeau chose an eager Richard Peoples to make the first tethered test flight of the device. With all of the Aerojet engineers watching, Mr. Peoples twisted the throttle and rose off the ground moving slightly forward and landing with a cloud of smoke surrounding him! The test was done, and all seen it as a complete success. On the basis of the studies done by Aerojet-General, the U.S. Army requested bids from all companies which thought they were capable of building an ADVANCED backpack device able to fly freely through the air... UNTETHERED. This brings us to our next segment, and the device we are all excited about known today as the amazing Rocket- Belt!The Bell Rocket-Belt (This segment contains the complete text of an award-winning essay written by Robert D. Roach, Jr.. Mr. Roach was chief of rocket product planning and has been associated with Bell’s rocket research programs since 1952.) One of man’s ageless dreams, unencumbered Free flight by a man utilizing an integrated Propulsion system, was realized April 20, 1961, .Early that chilly moming a small dedicated group of men gathered on the fringes of Niagara Falls Airport, New York. Here, in a community better known for its scenic display, engineers of many disciplines have long worked to harness nature’s power. This was the setting for the demonstration of man's first Controlled individual free flight with a rocket-telt, a further conquest of nature’s physical constraints. Man’s first rocket-belt flight, traversing more than 100 feet, at an altitude best measured in inches, was the culmination of an eight month development program conducted by Bell Aerosystems Company for the U S Army Research Command, The desire to fly has appealed to man since he first noticed the birds. A well-known legend of personal flight tells of Daedalus and Icarus who tried to fly with wings constructed of feathers and was. Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax melted, and he perished from his fall into the sea Early inventors experimented with kites, gliders, flapping wings. Leonardo daVinci even conceived a fundamental helicopter design. Cyrano deBergerac, Jonathan Swift, and later, Jules Verne, described concepts of aircraft, spacecraft, and even satellites. Free flight with lighter-than-air craft was achieved in 1783. Powered flight of a heavier-than-air craft did not occur for another 120 years! Now, in the dawn of the space age, itis ironic that man would Pause to fill in one of the blanks in flight achievement that was passed over in the rapid airo and astro progress of the twentieth century,Recent attempts to provide personal propulsion centered around flying platforms and one-man helicopters. The thought of affixing a rocket to a man’s back was neither new, nor was it untried by the time Wendell F. Moore (pictured), a rocket engineer at Bell Aerosystems Company, first gave it serious thought in 1953. During the heyday of amateur rocketry in Germany in the late thirties, an enterprising and fearless young man, outfitted with a rocket on his back, attempted to zoom through the streets on roller skates. The bruises he sustained from being cartwheeled and dragged across the ground discouraged further rocket excursions by skaters! But Wendell Moore’s idea was to join man with a rocket and accomplish flight of this integrated man-machine, supported by the rocket thrust alone. Assigned to Bell’s X-airplane programs at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Moore scratched the first ‘engineering drawings’ of the belt in the desert sands with a pointed stick, while he discussed his man rocket concepts with Jim Powell, Bell’s flight research engineer for the X-2 rocket powered aircraft. Unstable Man Man is not a very stable flying object! Therefore stability and control presented a much more severe technical challenge than the development of the rocket propulsion system. In order to obtain basic information on stability characteristics, to determine where the thrust nozzles should be positioned, and to what portion of the human body the lift force should be applied, a nitrogen gas test rig was constructed. Made entirely of steel tubing, the test rig had two underarm stirrups to lift the operator. A flexible hose, draped over a 15-foot high support, delivered the nitrogen to the tubing at a point above and behind the operator’s head. From there, the flow was divided equally to both sides of the man at approximately shoulder height, where two downward-pointed tubes were fitted with flow control orifices. Operation of the device was controlled by a test engineer on the ground by means of a valve which increased or decreased nitrogen flow 5through the lift device nozzles. The System was crude, and its limitations were readily acknowledged. The flex hose would restrain the freedom of movement of the rig; the nozzles might be mismatched thrust-wise, and the operator could only attempt to control in one plane, pitch, by fixed arm pieces attached to the tubing to permit rotation of the rig about the shoulderline. On a cold day in the winter of 1958, with the Topes tied about his waist and lines from them running fore and aft to several stalwart gentlemen, in order t control any violent maneuver, Wendell Moore signaled thumbs-up...’take it on up’. The blast was ear shattering. The dust teally flew. The control valve was a bit too coarse in furnishing thrust corrections resulting in some rapid up-and-down maneuvers. But it was a beginning. Mating all this machinery with the man was a minor challenge. A major concern was the support of the 125 pound loaded weight of the propulsion system. A form-fitting fiberglass corset was made to the body contour of the first intended Operator, and this, of course, was an honor (at that time a dubious one) reserved for Wendell Moore. Following the practice of having a ‘roll-out’ ‘ ceremony for flying machines, the SRLD or ‘rocket-belt’ was not to be denied this bit of aerospace tradition. Amid the clicking of Photographic shutters, Emie Kreutinger donned the hardware, added his trademark, a baseball cap and big cigar, and altemately positioned himself to provide a “3-view”, Donning a special set of protective coveralls and a crash helmet, Moore was carefully tethered at the waist as a safety precaution during tests. Since a lower tether attached to his legs Proved too restricting, it was removed and tethered flights continued in the less congested out-of-doors. It was winter and the rapid condensation of the steam produced billowy white clouds which obscured observation of the operator. The remaining tether flights were made in the hangar in which they had originated. After 15 or 20 tethered flights, Wendell Moore had located many bugs in the system.A tendency to yaw (rotation of the operator about his vertical centerline) was one of the most difficult stability problems to overcome. The jetavators gave the best control in the yaw direction. While experimenting with the effects of forceful body movements, Moore would occasionally induce a pendulum movement of his body which could not easily be stopped. During these maneuvers he adopted a practice of cutting the rocket thrust and allowing himself to be supported and lowered ONLY on the tether line. Tether Breaks One morning while he was approximately 10 feet above the concrete hangar floor, he cut the rocket power expecting to be lowered by the tether. Unbeknown to the flight test crew, the tether line had been sawing back and forth on a sharp metal bracket on the propulsion system. At rocket cut-off, with Moore’s full weight on the line, it failed, and he fell to the floor sustaining a fractured kneecap. His subsequent permanent grounding deprived him of total fulfillment with his project - - a free flight. Harold Graham (pictured at right), a 27-year old rocket test engineer, volunteered and was selected to fill the breach. Graham had worked with some of the SRLD components, so was not entirely unfamiliar with the program. This meant that Graham would start cautiously with tethered flights and gradually build up the experience required for the first free-flight. After 36 tethered flights, Harold Graham had conducted final de-bugging flights, practiced landing letdown procedures, and evaluated the installation of additional pads and supports under arm and at the waist as well as an abdominal support plate suggested by Dr. F. Tyler Kelly, the plant physician. Dr. Kelly’s contribution soon became known as the “Kelly Belly Plate”. Graham’s proficiency and confidence grew with each succeeding flight, and on the morning of April 20, 1961, all conditions were ‘go’ for an attempt at free flight. Everyone on the field had an assigned task. Observers were positioned along the flight path, as were motion picture and still photographers. Dr. Kelly was on hand to get the operator’s vital capacity, and blood pressure and pulse measurement, both before and after the flight. Ed Ganczak was running through the checklist, a 7practice well defined by experience during 56 previous tests. Ernie Kreutinger stood by with a hand type fire extinguisher to act in the case of leakage and consequence fire. The checklist run through was now complete. Ganczak accepted the safety-locking pin from the throttle control and signaled Harold Graham that he was on his own. The tanks were pressurized and Graham flexed his arms and back muscles to ascertain the familiar feel of his 125-pound propulsion system. He was ready, WOOSH! A short burst to check out the operation of his propulsion system, but only for an instant, and insufficient in thrust to move him. Now, satisfied that both he and the equipment were ready, he applied the throttle, rose to a height of about 18 inches and immediately began translating forward at about 7 to 10 miles per hour, The rapidly condensing steam in the cold air obscured the operator from view until he began to move along the flight path. Photographers tushed alongside to get an unobscured shot. On a nearby highway, cars came to a rapid halt while amazed early moming travelers became eyewitnesses to history. When he touched down proudly at the end of his 112-foot flight (cight feet less than the Wright Brothers first powered flight!) Graham had been airborne in free and controlled flight for 13 seconds. Man had written a new chapter in the conquest of nature! Jim Powell returned to Bell’s Niagara Frontier plant, took a turn at it, and tried to translate fore and aft by tilting his arm control levers. The success of such maneuvers was not readily measured because of all of the hose and flex hose restraints. At this point, one very important factor in the philosophy of flight by man-rocket couples was dramatically portrayed for the group at the test site. Jim Powell had been through a check-out ride on the jet platform with which the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics had been experimenting at Langley, Va.. He reported that to translate fore and aft or to the sides, it almost sufficed to ‘think’ about the direction of travel in order to move that way. When another Bell engineer with convictions of instability in such a man-machine configuration attempted to ‘fly’ the nitrogen test rig, he made repeated attempts to get up to an altitude of several feet. Each time he went through violent side-to-side swings accompanied by over-corrective foot motion on his part, which only aggravated the condition of instability. His flying belt 8career drew to a close quickly when on one violent side swing, he dashed himself against the wall! Fortunately, he was not injured, but he was more convinced than ever that the arrangement was unstable. Then the Bell motion picture photographer who had been recording the tests, Tom Lennon, volunteered to take a brief ride in the “‘rig’. Lennon gave the ‘thumbs-up’ signal and away he went - - five, ten, almost fifteen feet into the air - - up then down; up again, down and up for the next three minutes without the slightest hint of instability. This experience with different operators, with the same equipment at the same time, indicated that even though a stable configuration might be forthcoming in the actual rocket-belt designs, operator attitude would play a significant role in success or failure. The work with the nitrogen rig established the feasibility of underarm lifting for a rocket-belt and hinted that stable operation could be achieved. Some insight on proper nozzle location was gained when a rocket engineer managed to have the sleeves of his sport coat unraveled by the jet blast while he was in flight. The hazard would be much greater, of course, when the actual hot gases from a rocket were employed in the prototype designs. So, the nozzles were deployed further from the operator’s body and canted outward. @Army Interest Mounts Army interest began to “mount about this time. _. While Wendell Moore and Jim Powell took up > another assignment for Bell in Baltimore, Maryland, there was a request for proposals for a study program for a Small Rocket Lift Device. A contract for the study program went to Aerojet-General Corporation. By the time that the study program was complete, and the configuration for a SRLD (small rocket lift device) for manned flight had been defined, Wendell Moore was back at Bell’s main plant rekindling an interest in the next phase of the U.S. Army’s program. Phase II was to be the fabrication of the SRLD and the manned flight program, first on a tether (safety harness) for the safety and experience, then finally to negotiate free and controlled flight.A contract award was received from U.S. Army TRECOM (Transportation Research and Engineering Command) in August 1960. Project officer for the Army was now technical director for Bell’s program, so Wendell Moore, now technical director for Beil’s program, set out to use proven ‘shelf? items, such as oxygen breathing bottles, for propellant and Pressurant tanks. Moore was an inspired man - - the job was one that he wanted, earned, and cherished. This was not just an indifferent run-of-the-mill engineering assignment. Moore selected Eddie Ganczak as the project engineer, and Ernie (the bear) Kreutinger as the rocket technician and general ‘man-Friday’. Others, too numerous to mention, participated throughout the development pro; ' Fabrication Begins Initial SRLD design configurations were. compatible with the recommendation of the Aerojet study, and so with approval of the Armny, fabrication was initiated, A 280 pound thrust rocket motor was constructed and tested. This unit would supply hot gas to nozzles on each side of the SRLD. A throttle valve, resembling the one designed for use by the astronaut in the Mercury Capsule manual reaction control system, was Be : selected as controller. The valve was operated through cable linkage with a squeeze throttle located on the Operator’s right armrest. The left armrest was lifted with levers to operate jetavator type gas deflectors around the nozzles to effect yaw. This, of course, was merely a beginning. A number of flight accomplishments were to follow in the remaining month the initial Army contract was to mun. Graham flew up and over a 30-foot wide stream of water, made circular flight Paths, flew over obstacles such as trucks, and slaiomed through a course of flags. Public Debut The first public demonstration fequested by the Army on June 8, 1961 at Fort Eustis, Va., brought national acclaim to this humble SRLD Program. While Harold Graham flew over a two and a half ton Army truck (pictured on right), the G.L driver relaxing comfortably in the cab, the crowd of several hundred officers, VIP’s and guests watched 10awestruck. The moment he landed, as with every single SRLD flight that had ever had an audience, the crowd broke into spontaneous applause - - and Graham's reply was a jaunty salute thrown from his white helmet. Within a @ week after this first public unveiling, ‘the belt’, as even the average citizen was calling it, was readied for a performance on the Pentagon lawn. Approximately 30 general officers and an estimated 3,000 other Pentagon worker’s took a ten-minute break to witness the Army’s newest method of mobility on parade. For this particular demonstration, Graham flew high over an Army staff car which had been purposely placed as an obstacle in his flight path. The flight was perfect, the applause thunderous, and - - Graham’s salute was improving! - ee The flights conducted in subsequent months were many and varied. To learn more about the stability and control characteristics, test flights were instrumented and data was telemetered to a ground station. Meanwhile, requests were filled, with Army approval, for numerous public appearances throughout the country. Thousands of other requests to demonstrate the rocket-belt at state fairs and even L_—__>"*""9 on a world-side tour had to be denied for economic reasons. Company mail contained unsolicited ideas which ranged from totally ridiculous to criminally suspicious. One gentleman demanded his own tocket-belt so that he could put his hands on a $1,000,000 treasure which, he said, could not otherwise be reached! Such a tequest could not be granted, of course, due to the experimental nature of the SRLD. But one cannot help but one cannot help but wonder whether the walls of Ft. Knox might not have been the obstacle in mind!Graham went on to complete 83 free flights with the rocket-belt and retired from the program. Although never seriously injured during his tenure, he did have a few bad spills and collected many bruises. Perhaps his most memorable flight was a command performance for President John F. Kennedy at Fort Bragg, N.C.. As Graham flew from the deck of an offshore amphibious vehicle to fand in front of the President, he tossed off one of his now perfected salutes {pictured at right). The President returned it in fine Navy style! Research Continues Interest still runs high in the potential applications of the rocket-belt for tactical and rescue missions by the U.S. Army and others. Now a new generation of rocket-belt pilots are continuing the research necessary to make it a successful tool. Whatever the future, the past was a dream from the dawn of man, and 1961, the year which saw the first suborbital flight of a Mercury Astronaut will also be remembered for the rocket-belt. @ Year 2000 and Beyond As we enter into this new century and indeed a new millenium, we can see that this amazing device still Captures the imagination of all that are lucky enough to know about it. It seems personal individual flight is not just something we dream of, but will become an inevitable part of our lives in the very near future, There are many companies developing new and ingenious personal flight devices, such as Millenium Jet®, that will positively effect our future. Their invention, called the ‘Solotrek’ (pictured on left), can be seen in detail at their web-site www.solotrek.com. You can also read more about this in the ‘Personal Flight Devices’ section of this book. We have Mr. Wendell Moore and a little device known as the “Rocket-Belt’ to thank for their Part in the infancy of personal individual flight and more freedom for all of us. fG 2First Flights Man learns to fly in a steam-powered corset! Of all the strange things that might be expected to happen in this age of rocketry; when the wheel is gradually disappearing as a means of locomotion after thousands of years of use. One of the least likely would seem to be a man propelling himself through the air with the help of a steam engine. Yet it has come to pass! A 27 year old engineer has lifted himself to the tip of thirty-foot hills and flown across long stretches of land and water with no other support than a steam powered corset. This remarkable flying garment is fashioned of fiberglass and molded to fit the back and hips of the wearer, who slips his arms through padded rings attached to the top at either side, A pair of safety belts drawn taut around the abdomen Prevent the corset from pulling free and soaring off alone. Extended from each of the two arm rings is a flexible metal tube. The tube for the left arm ends in a steering stick that the flier manipulates with his left hand. The tube for the right arm ends at a band throttle like that of a motorcycle. 13of the corset squeezes the throttle, he opens a valve to When the weare*k mounted on the corset’s back at the shoulders. a small fuel ta:de stored in the tank escapes under pressure into a gas Hydrogen Perox: . | generator. iber is a catalytic agent which causes the H202 to In the gas chare Steam. The steam gushes out through two rocket decompose into! downward from the fuel tank. As the thrust of the nozzles pointing: ground increases, the corset rises, carrying its wearer steam toward the’ aloft. s known to Only one man § device. He have flown in thi Graham is Harold Mj), a bachelor (pictured at righ:’ his parents who lives with eee and two sisters i) 4 Sut 1 town of Kenmore!"k. Graham Buffalo, New Yeachelor of received his Be from Ei : Science degrchnic Institute in 1956, He worked for three years as Rensselaer PolyteMgineer in Batavia, N.Y. before joining the test a heat transfer of Bell Aerosystems Company, a Textron subsidiary, engineering staff 2°. a year and a half a: d automobiles and boats but not an airplane when he Graham had piloté in the experiments of Wendell F. Moore at Bell’s began to take parf@ had been tinkering with the theory of a flying test facility. Moo! Early pattems of the garment went through corset since 195/ for such things. Nine months ago the U.S. Army preliminaries usus@4tch Command signed a contract for production of Transportation Res model. Graham made the first free flight on April a practical workin’ Stretch of ground 100 feet wide...about twenty feet 20, 1961 crossing 2 traversed by Orville and Wilber Wright’s original less than the distam airplane. . . tan thirty flights have been completed, including a Since April more «1 @ fire truck at Army Transportation Research public jump over ters in Ft. Eustis, Va. Early in June. Distances have Command headquapt. Average height above the ground has been three ranged up to 360 feham has used the flying corset to reach the tops of to four feet, but Gri 14thirty foot high hills, and Moore Says there is no reason to suppose much higher altitudes cannot be attained. The model in Graham’s demonstration flights “is strictly a feasibility model designed to prove that lightweight rocket power can lift a man and transport him over the ground in controlled flight” designer Moore explains. “Available components were employed wherever possible. ..since we were trying to prove the man —rocket concept and were not shooting for maximum performance”. The Army’s interest in the steam-jet corset lies in obvious directions. If assault troops in amphibious landings could rocket across the water from landing ships to beachheads, the invaders would be more difficult targets for Shore fire. Once on land the climbing of steep hills and cliffs would be simplified. Creeks and rivers, deep ravines, barbed-wire entanglements and mine fields could be hurdled rather than struggled through. Still more significant to those who look deeper @ into the future is the potential value of the Mm flying corset in world police action. Differences among men will always have to be settled in personal contact of some sort. The Bell Aerosystems device lends itself to that reality. The speed is now thirty miles per hour....that can be raised. The weight is about 100 pounds...that can be lowered. The cost is now an unknown factor, but Moore’s guess is that it could come down well below the price of a modest automobile. @THIS WAS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE APPEARING IN S/R RESEARCH SCIENCE & HUMANITY ‘RESEARCH IN AMERICA’ DEPT. PUBLISHED BACK IN 1961Rocket-Belt Construction Plans So you want to build a Rocket-Belt ... Building a personal rocket-pack may well be one of the most rewarding, educational, exciting, and yet difficult, frustrating and dangerous undertakings possible to the amateur hobbyist! Therefore, a few words of warning are in order. These plans are NOT intended for use by persons under the age of eighteen! A rocket-belt is an extremely dangerous machine that should only be built and operated by persons experienced and knowledgeable in the technologies applied through the construction process. Further, the author of this information (Derwin Beushausen) is NOT an engineer licensed or certified in any state, but is an entirely self- educated individual in regards to these matters, and therefore IS NOT to be considered an expert on any of the material provided in this text! The author has spent many, many hours, days and years historically researching the rocket-belt and has had numerous conversations and interviews with fully qualified engineers, rocket-belt Operators (pilots), and other persons experienced in the manufacturing, handling, assaying and chemical analysis of 90% Hydrogen Peroxide. All information presented here is of an HISTORICAL NATURE and presents the authors’ understanding of historical and physical principles involved and required for the assembly of a Hydrogen Peroxide powered rocket-belt, only. Having said that, it is my solemn recommendation that you employ or retain experts in the specific fields mentioned to aid your endeavor, since no one person can be an expert in all fields. Furthermore, you should recognize that building a rocket-belt is an incredibly large undertaking, too large for one person, and therefore prudence suggests that if you want to be successful you should make this a TEAM EFFORT! Do not make the mistake of thinking this project is similar to building radio-control scale models, or something like that. To be successful, and LIVE through your experiments, will require effort and skills on a far greater scale. 16IN ORDER TO UTILIZE THIS MATERIAL TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL TO HELP YOU BUILD A ROCKET-BELT, YOU WILL NEED TO DO SOME PRELIMINARY PREPERATION. First and foremost, you will need to understand thoroughly the workings and operation of a rocket-belt. Some of this I will explain, but there already exists much material on this subject and you will be directed to read and understand that. What these plans ARE and ARE NOT... As I said, there exists much peripheral information on the rocket-belt. But, unfortunately, there is a scarcity of information on the crucial inner workings, that is the ROCKET MOTOR and other related COMPONENT PARTS making up this incredible invention. These plans contain the critical information concerning the construction of the essential rocket-belt components. Some components are non-essential in their design and construction and therefore the treatment is more general of them. Many components can be purchased off-the-shelf, and where this is the case, that is what I recommend. This book contains STEP-BY-STEP instructions to see you through the building phase. It is NOT a book on machining, manufacturing techniques, welding, or chemical processing! When you need welding done, see a welder. When you need machining done, see a machinist, etc., etc. (this work can all be done by local firms). This book is organized in a step-by-step format, with check boxes so that you can check-off each step as you complete it. In some cases it may not be possible to chick-off a given step before commencing to the next, since this project requires much concurrent work. My main goal in putting together these plans is to make this very complicated Process as easy and understandable as humanly possible. Building a rocket-belt will prove to be an adventurous and exciting project, and will, no doubt, lead to many inquires from friends & neighbors as to what you are exactly doing. Well, needless to say, if any of these people have the capabilities of helping you with this than it would be to 17your advantage to gamer all of the heip that you can get! Now, let’s begin your adventure ... C) sep one: PRELIMINARY KNOWLEDGE In order to utilize this information to its fullest potential, you will need to have a thorough understanding of exactly how a rocket-belt operates. There is already much useful information printed on this subject, therefore it would be a waste of space to re-iterate it here. Your first task is to thoroughly read, re-read and understand United States Patent #3,021,095 and #3,243,144 (see section five) before commencing further. Basically, a rocket-belt is a device that straps to the back of the user, and flies him through the air on a jet of propulsion thrust. This thrust is provided by the catalytic decomposition of concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Specifically, the hydrogen peroxide is stored in (usually) two stainless steel fuel tanks, with a third tank of nitrogen (at about 2,250 psi) in between. The nitrogen gas goes through a regulator which reduces its pressure to anywhere from 300 to 550 psi, which is then used to pressurize the hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide at about 500 psi is regulated by a throttle valve (operated by the pilot), to a catalyst chamber where it contacts a silver catalyst bed, The silver causes the hydrogen peroxide (also known as H202) to violently decompose into superheated steam and Oxygen. The resulting hot gas is what provides the propulsive energy to lift the rocket-belt and pilot off the ground and fly through the air. The hot gas leaves the catalyst chamber, flows down through two large hot gas manifolds, and is accelerated by exhaust nozzles to increase the propulsive efficiency. The entire manifold and catalyst chamber assembly pivots through a ball joint connected to the control bars, allowing the operator to direct the control handlebars. It is essential to in-flight stability that the operators’ hips be immobilized (rigid) during flight. This is provided- for by a snug fitting corset. This is explained thoroughly in the patents. You are also encouraged to view some of the movies available of the rocket-belt in flight. Oue I can highly recommend is “THE AMAZING. ROCKET-BELT” video and others available from DreamQuest America, Inc. These videos have a few close-up shots that will acquaint you with the rocket-belt and make you better aware of its make-up and operation.IN CONCLUSION... Now that you understand rocket-belt operation and general construction (assuming you’ve read the materials as instructed, and seen the videos), it’s time to discuss a few details. Much of the rocket- belt is straightforward, that is you can make changes, or use alternative methods of construction as to suit your abilities, expenses and parts- availability in your neck-of-the-woods. There will be many component parts which will be readily available in your area, and there will be many parts that you will need to have formed at a local shop. At any rate, I don’t think you will be having any problems in this area. And, as stated, there are some parts which are changeable and left to your own preference. For instance, for the cabling for throttle and jetavator control, many configurations are possible; those contained herein are merely a suggestion. The same goes for the backpack. The backpack is merely a frame, any frame, designed to hold the tanks, corset, harness and thrust unit on the operators back. Therefore, the design outlined herein is merely a suggestion. The corset has only one requirement; it serves to maintain the operators’ hips and back in a rigid position. Human spines are flexible; this flexibility can allow unstable oscillations to occur that affect control of the rocket-belt. The corset eliminates this flexibility. The fuel tanks, nitrogen tank and regulator, fuel and plumbing lines, throttle control cables, jetavator control cables, operator hamess, pressure gages and handgrips are all off-the-shelf items. The only items that must actually be built are the motor, throttle valve (and it’s possible that there are some off-the-shelf alternatives to this), rocket nozzles and jetavators, handlebars, gas manifolds, and corset. And, as T’ve already said, there are many possible altematives regarding the corset and backpack. But, NOT SO regarding the rocket motor, nozzles, jetavators and manifold tubes. BUILD THEM EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THESE PLANS. You should not make changes yourself unless you are 19thoroughly familiar with the fluid dynamics and thermodynamics involved, since the slightest change in either the rocket motor or nozzles will drastically affect the operation and safety of the unit! We are now going to go on to perhaps the most important part of this manual, that is the construction of the CATALYST CHAMBER. This, as you may already know, is the ‘heart’ of the Tocket-belt device. Please pay close attention to every detail shown, and DO NOT deviate from the plans in regards to the steel being used or the silver screen placement or anything else concerning the catalyst chamber. Once you have completed construction on this, you will be well on your way to having a working rocket-bett at your disposal, so iet’s get started! Q STEP TWO : CATALYST CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION ‘The catalyst chamber is constructed according to the manner shown in rocket motor drawing #01 (all CAD drawings are appended to the end of this text). Part #CC-001 is the catalyst chamber body. It holds the support and distribution plates, as well as the silver screen pack. The two arms coming out at a 4S-degree angle are for the hot gas manifold tubes. The tubes are inserted about | inch into these arms and then welded into place. Part #CC-005 is the catalyst bed support plate, it holds the silver screen pack in place, and provides support allowing the screens to be compressed to about 500-1500 Psi. The anti-channel baffles, part #CC-006, are very important. They are rings machined out of 304 stainless steel, they should be about 0.050” thick with an inside diameter of 2.700” and an outside diameter of exactly 3.202”. This is to allow them to be force-fit into Place. The best way to do this is by dipping them into liquid Nitrogen ( which catises them to shrink) and then slipping them into the chamber while packing the silver screens. When they re-warm they will expand into a nice force-fit. They must also be positioned as shown near the upper % and '% of the screen pack. Their function is to prevent undecomposed liquid H202 from traveling down along the wall (channeling) thereby bypassing the silver screens. They can also be insexted by heating the chamber body, but it would have to be heated to about 600 degrees F, making handling rather difficult. The first step is to have the chamber body (CC-001) machined out as shown in rocket motor drawing #02. All dimensions are shown. The body is hogged out of a single piece of 304 SS, preferably on a CNC machining center (MAZAK, etc.). It can be machined as one piece, or the arms can be machined separately and then welded on. Generally, 20the wall thickness is a minimum of 0.100” throughout. The end where the arms attach is hemispherically-shaped, with an inside radius of 1.500”. 16 evenly spaced holes are drilled around the lip for bolting on the cap. Nominal diameter is 1/8, but this can be adjusted to suit whatever bolts you happen to buy to bolt the cap on with. I recommend socket head cap (Allen) bolts about 1” tong. Rocket motor drawing #03 shows the cap construction. The center hole is tapped 3/8” x 24 NF for a bed compression bolt, part #CC-003. Any 3/8-24NF bolt can be used; start with a longer one than needed and grind the tip as shown to fit in the recess of the fuel distribution plate. The purpose of this bolt is to maintain the silver screen pack in a compressed state, and can be used to slightly re-compress the screens between flights. The fuel inlet is drilled and tapped 3/8NPT at the angle shown (which is normal to the top surface where it enters). There are six radial re-enforcing ribs around the top surface of the cap. Material is left between two of them to provide for the fuel inlet, as shown in the drawing. Rocket motor drawing #04 shows the catalyst bed support plate. It is simply a machined flat plate of 304SS with 214 evenly spaced holes drilled through it. Each hole is 1/8” in diameter, and they are arranged in concentric rings, called ‘rows’ in the drawing. There are 8 rows. The centers of the first row of holes are displaced exactly 0.125” from the center of the plate. The centers of the second row of holes are displaced exactly 0.187” from the center of the number one hole in the previous row. All remaining rows are spaced 0.187” center-to-center. Each row has the number of holes in it as shown in the table. After machining out the plate, mount it in a dividing head on a vertical mill to drill these holes. The fuel injector plate, part #CC-004, is similar to the support plate but a little more complex. Refer to rocket motor drawing #05. The bottom side is flat, but the top side is contoured as shown, with an undercut of 0.100”, and radiuses of 0.100”. There are 312 holes, 1/16” diameter each. The first two (inner) rings (rows) are drilled inward toward the plate center as shown in rocket motor drawing # 07. The number of holes in each row is listed in the table shown in drawing #05. Rocket motor drawing #06 shows an example of what the silver catalytic screens look like (except the mesh is enlarged for clarity). The 21screens are made by die-cutting or circle-cutting directly from silver- wire cloth. Have the wire cloth manufacturer do this for you, it’s cheap, and they’ll do a better job. The silver itself however, is not cheap, and you can expect to pay upwards of $3,000 for a set of 100 screens. The screens should be cut to a diameter of 3.202”. They must then be treated as follows: First all oil and dirt must be removed with a good, clean solvent. From this point on, they should not be handled with bare hands. Use clean stainless steel tongs, or clean cotton gloves like those used in clean-rooms in the electronics industry. Make a solution of 10% (by weight) Samarium Nitrate in clean distilled water. Heat the screens in a muffle furnace to approximately 1000 degrees F. One at a time, withdraw them with tongs and dip them into the Samarium Nitrate solution (they will steam and boil) for a few seconds and then retum them to the furnace and reheat to 1000 degrees F. Repeat this process a total of four times. When you are done, a crust of whitish Samarium Oxide will be covering the surface. The catalyst chamber is now ready to pack. Refer again to rocket motor drawing #01. First insert the bed support plate, CC-005. Next, start packing in screens. Because they are slightly oversize, you will need to use a metal plunger/piston that just fits in the bore. After putting in 25-30 screens, mount the assembly in a hydraulic press and pack the screens to about 1500 psi. After about 45-50 screens, insert the first anti-channel baffle, CC-006. The liquid Nitrogen method is definitely safest, cleanest and best. After another 20 or so screens, insert the second anti-channel baffle. Insert and compact the remaining screens. It will probably take about 90-100. The idea is to fill the chamber, but leave just enough room for the fuel distribution plate, CC-004. Now place a 0.050” thick copper gasket Gust cut or punch it out of a sheet of 0.049” or 0.050” thick copper, and drill 16 bolt through holes) and place the cap on top. Using a depth gauge, determine the exact length necessary for the bed compression bolt (including copper washer, CC-008). Grind the bolt to this length plus about 0.050”. Finish the nose to seat nicely within the seat on the fuel injection plate (CC-004) as shown. The main purpose of this bolt is to maintain compression (500 psi or so) on the screen bed, as well as allow for recompression between firings. During use the silver will expand more than the motor, and then shrink more upon cooling, thereby creating some looseness of the pack. It is necessary to ¢liminate this looseness in order to prevent stalling or flooding of the motor. Bolt on the cap (incidentally, notice neither the cap nor the body bolt holes are threaded; use nuts, bolts and a washer on each 22face!), tighten the compression bolt, and the pack is ready to go. You may want to perform this final packing procedure after the manifold tubes are welded to the chamber body, it’s your choice and I guess it depends mostly upon how sloppy your welder is or isn’t. Q) STEP THREE : HOT GAS MANIFOLDS The CAD drawing labeled M-C-P drawing #01 shows the general arrangement of the manifold tubes. This may be hard to visualize, but it is actually quite simple. First of all you should realize that there are only TWO BENDS in each tube, and secondly that the tubes are mirror images of each other. First approximately 8” up from the bottom where the nozzle welds on, there is a bend of 69 degrees. THEN THE ENTIRE TUBE IS ROTATED 45 DEGREES, AND A SECOND BEND, APPROXIMATELY 13-15” FROM THE FIRST IS MADE ABOUT 14 DEGREES. The whole point of all this is so the catalyst chamber can be mounted at about a 45-degree angle, so it doesn’t stick up so high. Also, the manifold tubes need to clear outside the fuel tanks, operators’ shoulders and pack frame. After the second (14- degree) bend, cut off the remaining end of tube so that about 4-1/4” extend beyond the second bend. This is important; don’t cut the tubes to length and then bend, rather bend, then cut to length. This is so the ends don’t get deformed or buggered up in the bending process, since each end must fit into a sleeve to be welded. Have a professional tube- bender do it for you and it'll be done right. These guys do this kind of thing everyday (muffler shops, for example), and they’re much better at it than you or I will ever be. M-C-P drawing #02 shows the right hand tube from the side, and basically reiterates what I’ve just said— that viewed from the side there may be a 45 degree angle in the tube but there is no 45 degree BEND! QO STEP FOUR : NOZZLES AND JETAVATORS Nozzle drawing #01 shows the general arrangement of the rocket nozzle and jet-thrust deflecting jetavator. The rocket-belt video shows in detail the importance of the importance of the jetavators in Yaw control. Both the nozzle, part #RN-001, and the jetavator cable control clamp are welded to the manifold tube. The jetavator is fastened to the nozzle in a simple manner. Matching holes in each are drilled for dual retaining pins. The holes in the nozzle are drilled for a press fit, while those in the jetavator ring are drilled (and reamed) for a slip fit. With the jetavator rings in place, the retaining pins are pressed into place with a press. If desired, a small bead of weld can be made inside the 23nozzle to secure the pin. A die grinder is then used to carefully finish flush the inside of the pin where it protrudes into the nozzle. Finally, go over it with a polishing wheel and you’ll have a nice finished jetavator nozzle combination. The nozzle dimensions are shown in nozzle drawing #02. Note that this drawing is at 2-times scale for clarity, but the numbers given in the dimensions are correct. Nozzle drawing #03 shows the jetavators dimensions and specifications, while nozzle drawings #04 & #05 show examples of a suitable cable clamp. Referring back to nozzle drawing #01, note that the Bowden cable and sheath, #RN-004, and pin and clevis, RN-003, are all standard off-the-shelf items, ™ In fact, an important word should be mentioned here concerning “off-the-shelf” items and “custom-manufactured” items. Purchase all your “off-the-shelf” items first. You can’t change them. and besides, you want to “buy” as much of this project as you can in order to make construction easier! This way, if a custom item must be modified, you can make the changes before you pay someone a fortune to build it for you. As an example, there are all kinds of Bowden cable assemblies available. If I were to specify an exact dimension to machine the inside of the cable clamp, and then you couldn’t get the same cable I used, you’d be in a world of hurt, wouldn’t you? Much better that I wam you, and you buy your cable first, then give it to your machinist along with your drawings and let him make the clamp to fit your cable! Later on, you'll find the same thing is true for the flexible moto-tool shaft / tachometer / speedometer / odometer cable or whatever you decide to use for the throttle cable...get your cable first, then modify the throttle valve shaft coupler, part #TV-005, to fit your cable. This same philosophy applies to the backpack (depends upon which class II full- body harness you buy...), and the corset (a custom-made item designed to fit your body). CU srep Five : CONTROL BAR ASSEMBLY The control bars, also known as the handlebars, are shown in M-C-P drawing #03, which is a 3-view drawing. To facilitate understanding, the handlebars are also shown in a 3-D drawing, labeled “Handlebars- 3-D”. This is more work for your trusty local tubing bender / muffler shop. The length of the forearm grips (14” in the drawing) are adjustable to suit your own physique. The other dimensions have been 24calculated to Provide clearance past the fuel tanks, if you use a dual- tank system. A rocket-belt is literally a two-part system, from a dynamic standpoint. On one side there are the fuel tanks/backpack/corset assembly. This is connected” through a Pivoting ball-joint to the catalyst chamber/manifolds/nozzles assembly. The handlebars play a central role in all this. The catalyst chamber is welded to the manifolds, and this provides the only structural Support/connection for the catalyst chamber. The manifolds are in turn welded to the handlebars, as shown in the figure below. Weld a 4” thick by 2” by 2” tab on the lower side of the handlebars as shown for connecting to the ball joint. The size of the hole to be drilled through the tab depends upon which ball joint you purchase. I suggest the ball joint shown in the following diagram, therefore you would drill this hole out to 4”, 25"Male Thread, ~ Ball End with Stud 875” F = 3.750” C= 1.750" AAV ON The male thread of the ball joint (dimension ‘F’) is bolted to the top of the pack frame, close in to the operators spine. The stud is bolted to the tab on the handlebars. Also bolted to this stud is a small bracket that extends upward at a 45 degree angle used to hold the throttle valve (shown later). The left handgrip operates the jetavators. The control cables are connected to a bell-crank with clevis’s shown in the following diagram. SEE NEXT PAGE FOR DIAGRAM... 26Hand grip he, Bracket - 27 4The handgrip turns a shaft mounted in bushings between upper and lower plates welded to the handlebar tubes, as shown in the diagram. As you can see, this arrangement is extremely simple in operation and construction, and your machinist can make and weld all the parts for you, after you buy your Bowden cables and clevis rod-ends. Any type of bracket you make is okay — it simply holds the cable housing. The throttle (right hand grip) is even simpler. The throttle valve is operated by a flexible shaft. This is the type of cable-shaft used in Dremels, Moto-tools, also in tachometer cables, speedometer and odometer cables. There are so many choices here it is difficult to recommend one over the other. When selecting a flexible shaft, look for one that transmits the most torque. Use a right-angle drive (available from most aircraft suppliers for airplane tachometers) at the bottom of the handgrip, and connect the cable into this (this prevents a long loop of cable running below the handgrip). The other end of the cable connects directly into the throttle valve. Q STEP SIX : THE THROTTLE VALVE The throttle valve design for this rocket-belt is unique. Before proceeding, I want to say that it may be possible to use an off-the-shelf valve. However, I don’t have any further information at this time. In the past, throttle valves used for rocket-belts have given some trouble. The biggest problem is poor ‘throttle-ability’. This is important because it is necessary to have fine control of the thrust in order to make a safe and controlled landing. Plunger-type valves are particularly susceptible to this kind of problem. The valve of this design is a gate-type with the unique feature of having a square, or rather diamond-shaped orifice. This allows much more linear throttle response. The valve is shown in throttle valve drawing #01. In this case the valve is in the ON position. Both the inlet and outlet are 3/8 NPT. The O-rings used for sealing must be VITON, and their specifications are listed in the drawing. You can also see where the flexible shaft inserts, and both the flex shaft and its housing are held in place with setscrews. Throttle valve drawing #02 shows the valve in the OFF position. In this case you can see the unique diamond-shaped orifice. The valve spool and its specifications are shown in Throttle valve dwg. #03 & 04. Throttle valve dwg. #05 shows the valve body, and its dimensions, but what it doesn’t show is the tab you must weld on the outside of the body (BEFORE finishing the bore!) for mounting the valve. That is shown in the diagram on the next page. 284” thick mounting tab Throttle valve dwgs. #06 & 07 show the end caps and head caps of the valve, respectively. No gaskets ate used when attaching these caps; all mating surfaces should be highly polished and the caps simply bolted on. Gasket materials of any type are a bad idea in H202 throttle valves, since they can lead to contamination of the catalyst chamber, electrolytic corrosion of the valve, as well as make it difficult to maintain the tolerances necessary for this valve. Note also that the actual diameter of the hole drilled for the flexible shaft housing is to be determined after purchase of a suitable shaft. Both the shaft housing and the shaft quill are held in place with socket head setscrews. C) step SEVEN : FUEL AND NITROGEN TANKS Anyone who has tried to get custom-made high-pressure stainless steel tanks certified for use with 90% H202 has been met with great reluctance. The best thing to do is do what's been done on every rocket-belt every built (to my knowledge), and that is use surplus U.S. Airforce D2 Oxygen tanks. These tanks are rated to 450 psi, but with suitable testing and verification could possibly be used to about 600 psi. These tanks are getting somewhat hard to find now, they’re actually becoming something of a collector’s item. I can still get some for about $150 to $200 apiece. You must pressure test them to AT LEAST 20% OVERPRESSURE. That is, if you intend to use the tank at 600 psi, have an expert pressure test it to verify that it will withstand at 720 psi. Never use gases for pressure testing! They are compressible and therefore contain consider potential energy when pressurized; they 29can cause a tremendous explosion in the event of vessel failure. Only use incompressible liquids such as water (hydraulic fluid MUST NEVER be used in any vessel that is to subsequently contain H202!). Have an expert do this for you, this kind of thing must be done remotely, in a shielded environment, by a professional. The pressure must be held for a minimum of several hours, and then reduced 10% and the tank inspected visually. Such procedures are WAY beyond the scope of this book! You’ll also need a Nitrogen tank (2250-3000 psi) and a high pressure regulator suitable for regulating Nitrogen from 2250-3000 psi down to about 600 psi. These are off-the-shelf items. 14” stainless steel pressure lines come from the Nitrogen regulator to a pressure gauge (mounted on the backpack) and go to the top of each D2 tank. 304 SS 14” fuel feed lines come from the bottom of each D2 into a single connector with a 3/8” line out. A 304 stainless ball check valve is first inserted into the line, and then a stainless stee! leak-proof flexible metal (bellow-type) hose assembly runs up to the inlet of the throttle valve. A short piece of stainless steel tube connects the throttle valve to the catalyst chamber. For the flex hose assembly, get the type with male NPT fittings on both ends. All of these items, hoses, tube, SS fittings, connectors, etc., are all off-the-shelf standard hardware. The only requirement is that they are all stainless steel, preferably 304, but 316 or even 321 will work. A final note regarding tanks: At least one individual I know is using an alternative method to the three tanks. He’s using a single, large stainless tank filled half full with H2O2 and then the remainder is Pressurized with Nitrogen. Doing this eliminates the weight of the Nitrogen tank and regulator. As fuel is consumed the feed pressure decreases, and therefore the thrust decreases, however, the weight ALSO decreases so that LESS thrust is required. Whether it will balance out suitably I am uncertain, until he Proves it one way or the other. In any event, however, I feel this method is extremely dangerous and I cannot recommend or endorse it at this time.Osrep EIGHT : CORSET, BACKPACK FRAME & HARNESS The harness also is an off-the-shelf item. You will need to purchase a class III full-body harness. The corset you will have to make yourself, or have made by someone who is skilled in laying up fiberglass. The corset is extremely simple, and need not be diagramed here, since you are going to make it just like those shown in the original Bell patents. Embed some large diameter washers or Aluminum plates in the fiberglass to act as reinforcement points where the bolts go through. Bolt together the corset, harness, and pack frame using carriage bolts. The pack frame can be Military surplus, such as a modified LC-2 (“Allis”) backpack frame, or it can be welded up from Aluminum U-channel as shown in the example below. Typical backpack frame assembly Ball joint mounts here re ; “> © Corset and harness bolt through here foo Tank straps bolt on here Mill out scallops in upper and lower U-channel for seating TON The throttle valve bracket is also bolted through the ball joint. This bracket need be nothing more than a strip of stiff (you can weld a vertical stiffener on it if you like) steel about a %” thick that serves to 31locate the throttle valve close to and under the catalyst chamber fuel inlet. You may need to modify the pack frame shown to accommodate bolting of the particular body harness you buy. There are several different styles available—just make sure to get an OSHA / ANSI Class IIT. The tanks are held to the pack frame with thin 0.035” by 2” wide stainless steel straps. These straps are held to the frame with bolts, and have a 90 degree bend and gap in their center for tensioning. See the diagram below for further details. ~~ Fuel tanks with 4 Nitrogen tank in center Front View 32Well, that about wraps it up. All the mechanical, cabling and plumbing details of the rocket-belt are fairly straightforward and conventional. This means whatever works for you is fine. A lot of it is going to depend upon which off-the-shelf parts you get or use. Remember a few simple rules and you should have no trouble: 1, NEVER CHANGE THE CATALYST CHAMBER OR ROCKET NOZZLES FROM THE DESIGN SHOWN. 2. DON’T CHANGE THE THROTTLE VALVE DESIGN UNLESS YOU USE AN OFF-THE-SHELF VALVE. 3. ALL PARTS THAT WILL CONTACT H202 MUST BE MADE OF 304 STAINLESS STEEL. 316 AND 321 ARE LESS PREFERABLE BUT OKAY FOR SHORT TERM CONTACT. 4. NEVER STORE PEROXIDE IN A ROCKET-BELT. 5. AFTER USE, ALWAYS DRAIN THE FUEL TANKS, AND BLOW OUT THE TANKS, LINES, VALVE AND CATALYST CHAMBER WITH CLEAN DRY NITROGEN. DO NOT USE AIR OR CARBON DIOXIDE! 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SOO-AL S10G POSH UPlIV ON OZ — ¥/1 esn. mein doy ‘MOIA OPIS, coo ‘ypeu joods 405 @9U0s08|9 epiaoid ©} 4ejwoYD OWS SOO— Al ‘dVO QVSH / Y31dNOO L4VHHandling Hydrogen Peroxide SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS AND HEALTH HAZARDS CAUTION : Hydrogen Peroxide up to 52% strength is a strong oxidizer. Causes eye burns, the effects of which may be delayed. Causes skin irritation or burns. All commercial grades may cause irritation of nose, throat and lungs. May form explosive mixtures with organic chemicals. May start fires if in contact with flammable or combustible materials. Contamination may cause dangerous decomposition and result in dangerous pressure or explosion. Contact with the Eyes Contact of all industrial grades of hydrogen peroxide with the eyes causes burns. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations above 8% can cause permanent eye damage. The higher the H202 concentration, the more serious the potential eye damage. For all industrial grades of H202, the eye effects may be delayed; in some cases, fot as much as a week or more after exposure. Therefore, even if there is no severe pain, the eyes must be thoroughly flushed with water immediately after exposure for at least 15 minutes. ¢ Contact with the Skin Contact of 70% hydrogen peroxide with the skin will cause severe burns. Short-term skin contact with 30, 35 or 50% H202 will result in temporary whitening or bleaching and a mild stinging sensation. Longer exposure may result in skin irritation, blisters or burns. @ Ingestion If swallowed, hydrogen peroxide may produce a sudden evolution of oxygen which can cause injury by distending the esophagus or stomach; local action may cause internal bleeding. ¢@ Inhalation Inhalation of H202 vapor or mist may cause extreme irritation and inflammation of the nose and throat. The U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) has ruled that an employee’s exposure to hydrogen peroxide in any 8-hour shift of a 40-hour week shall not exceed a time-weighted 57average of Ippm hydrogen peroxide vapor in air or 1.4 mg/m3 (29 CFR 1 91 0.1 000 Air Contaminants). @ Toxicity of Dilute H2O2 Solutions Hydrogen peroxide is frequently diluted to much lower concentrations than the standard industrial strengths. Du Pont’s Haskell Laboratory for Toxicology and Industrial Medicine has determined that solutions of up to 8% are not skin irritants (16 CFR 1500.41, method of testing primary imitant substances). Solutions of 3% are not eye irritants, but solutions of 6% or more are eye irritants (16 CFR 1500.42, test for eye irritants). ¢ Safety Precautions Do not get in eyes; wear eye protection, avoid contact with the skin. Wear neoprene, butyl rubber, or vinyl gloves. Prevent contact with flammable liquids or solids. Mixing with flammables can cause immediate fire or a delayed detonation. Drying of hydrogen peroxide on clothing or combustible materials may cause fire, Avoid contamination from any source, including metals, dust, and organic materials. Such contamination may cause rapid decomposition, generation of large quantities of oxygen gas, and high pressures. Or FIRST AID Leanne ee ¢ Contact with the Eyes If hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with the eyes, immediately flush the eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Call a physician. @ Contact with theSkin If hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with the skin, immediately flush with plenty of water while quickly removing contaminated clothing and shoes. For skin contact with 70% (or any concentration greater than 52% hydrogen peroxide) flush skin with water for at least 15 minutes and call a physician. ¢ Swallowing If swallowed do not induce vomiting. Give large quantities of water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Call a physician. 58@ Inhalation If hydrogen peroxide vapor is inhaled, remove person immediately to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration, preferably mouth to mouth. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Call a physician. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ¢@ The following personal protective equipment should be worn: Hard hat with brim Chemical splash goggles >Gloves and boots of neoprene, buty| rubber or viny! rubber @ Have available and wear as needed: Full length face shield (in addition to chemical splash goggles) ™Rain suit or ‘acid’ suit of neoprene, PVC, butyl rubber or polyethylene. Where contact with vapors or mist cannot be avoided, wear appropriate respiratory protection. Personal safety equipment should protect the wearer from injury if exposure to H202 occurs. Different operations will present a greater or lesser risk of H202 exposure and careful planning is required to make sure that proper safety equipment is available and used. A hard hat not only protects the head but also reduces rundown of splashed peroxide into the eyes. All industrial concentrations of H202 cause eye damage on contact. Where danger of a splash exists, as in open handling of H202 chemical splash goggles must be worn. Proper gloves and footwear, in good condition, reduce the risk of skin contact. Avoid porous materials such as fabric, suede or leather. Pant legs should not be tucked into boots. This avoids getting H202 in the boat and possible burns to the feet and lower legs. Clean outer clothing of DACRON® polyester reduces the risk of burns because such fabrics are less subject to spontaneous combustion in contact with H2O2 as the water evaporates than cotton, rayon or wool. Dilute and wash spills from clothing promptly. In operations where there is significant risk of sudden splash or spray, the use of an apron or rubber suit is recommended. 59When handling H202 over 52% in concentration, the danger of eye and skin damage is greater and spontaneous combustion is more likely to occur than with lower concentrations. Consequently, even more care should be taken in selecting and using appropriate safety equipment made of proper materials. Flammable clothing such as cotton, rayon, wool and leather (particularly suede, scuffed or soft leather that is porous) can catch fire and cause severe burns after contact with H202 of greater than 52% concentration. If soiled, even polyester fabrics may burn on contact with high strength H202. In emergencies or in performing work where there is a possibility of of neoprene and a self-contained breathing apparatus should be worn. Protective skin creams offer no protection from hydrogen peroxide and should not be used. TF Fae cr SPECIAL SAFETY FACILITIES ee > Water must be available wherever H202 is handled. The following safety facilities should be readily accessible: 1. Safety Showers — with quick opening valves which stay open and are designed to avoid freeze-ups in cold weather. 2. Eye Wash Fountains — or other means of washing the eyes with a gentle flow of tap water. 3. Water Source & Hose — to flush away spills with large volumes of water under low pressure. PRECAUTIONS IN USE ee EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS Hydrogen peroxide solutions are not explosive in the sense of propagating detonation. If handled properly to avoid contamination, H202 may be stored indefinitely in appropriate materials of construction and transported from storage area to chemical operation with little difficulty. However, even the most stable H202 decomposes slowly (less than 1% per year), and should always be stored in vented equipment. High pressure can build up even in a small closed volume and rupture equipment.Contamination of hydrogen peroxide solutions can result in self- accelerating decomposition evolving large amounts of heat. Heat itself has the same effect as contamination and can also initiate and accelerate decomposition. When decomposition reaches a rate at which the heat generated can no longer be dissipated to the surroundings, the decomposition will become self-accelerating. For this reason, H202 tanks should never be insulated. For every 10°C temperature rise there is a 2.2 fold increase in H202 decomposition rate. Drums and other vessels must be protected from process back-flow when pumps are turned off. Hydrogen peroxide solutions should never be injected into a pressure system unless all back-flow possibilities are eliminated. Mixtures of organic materials and high strength hydrogen peroxide solutions can be detonable simply because the components have been mixed in the proper proportions in the absence of sufficient water. Hydrogen peroxide solutions containing greater than 52% H202 can be especially hazardous in this regard. It is not essential that organic peroxide formation occur to make a mixture detonable, nor even that the organic material be soluble in the hydrogen peroxide solution. <) NOTE : A serious detonation occurred from a mixture of organic material with a relatively dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide when unreacted H202 was concentrated by evaporation of other components. Thus all persons working with peroxide materials should decompose excess peroxide and confirm the absence of peroxides by an appropriate test before concentrating a reaction mixture. The mere absence of oxygen gas after the addition of a decomposition catalyst does not indicate that all H2O2 has been destroyed. Even if potentially explosive liquid-phase mixtures of hydrogen peroxide and organics are avoided, particular care should be used to select solvents in reactions such as epoxidations or organic oxidations. Flammable solvent vapors are known to form explosive mixtures with air over a wide range. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide may decompose to release oxygen gas into confined vapor spaces in equipment. Such oxygen enrichment would increase the explosive limits of the solvent vapors, decrease the ignition energies needed to 61ignite explosive mixtures, and increase the energy release of an explosion. Such potential vapor phase hazards are best avoided by excluding volatile organics from reactions involving hydrogen peroxide. If this is not possible, sufficient inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide should be used to suppress the oxygen level below the explosive limit. If a vapor phase hazard is caused by hydrocarbons such as butane or hexane, the current NFPA Standard on Explosive Preventive Systems recommends 9.5% by volume as a maximum oxygen level using nitrogen as the inert gas and 11.5% oxygen using carbon dioxide as the inert gas. Commercial oxygen analyzers are available to analyze the oxygen level in a vapor space. OFT ““s-_———> BE MAZARDS OU Although H202 will not burn, it can start fires and increase their severity because it is a source of oxygen. Contact with organics can cause fire or detonation. Some materials in contact with H202 can burst into flames almost immediately. For example, 70% H202 spilled on a leather glove can cause a fire within a minute. Combustible materials such as wood, paper, brush, or grass can ignite quickly, or many hours later. With higher strength H202 fire hazards are greatly increased. Flush away spills promptly with plenty of water. Design storage facilities and prepare written operating instructions for H202 handling that avoid spills on wood, grass, weeds, and stored combustibles. Tanks, piping and other H202 handling equipment should not be mounted over wooden floors, combustible roofs, or areas where combustibles are stored since leaks could lead to major fires, especially during off hours. For the same reason, H202 drums should not be stored on untreated wooden pallets. > FIRE FIGHTING Only water is recommended to fight fires involving hydrogen peroxide. Fire fighters should wear full protective clothing. Use water spray to cool tanks, equipment and lines not yet burning. This will reduce the rate of H202 decomposition and prevent high pressure buildups. Tanks which have become overheated should be approached cautiously because of possible explosion. 62PILOT TESTING AND TRAINING PREPERATION SS Okay, you’ ve built your SRLD components, cleaned and pickled the fuel lines and tanks, assembled them to your backpack, checked out all the controls, now you’re ready to fill the tanks with H202 and fly, tight? WRONG, dead wrong. First of all, if there’s any chance that during the final assembly you’ve inadvertently introduced any organic or catalytic material into the fuel tanks, fuel feed line or throttle valve, you'll have to re-clean and re- pickle any components that will ever contact hydrogen peroxide except the catalyst chamber and hot gas manifold. Disconnect the throttle valve from the catalyst chamber and re-pickle everything from this point back to and including the fuel tanks, according to the instructions already given for pickling. Then Proceed with the next step. Even if you didn’t have to re-clean and re-pickle, you must do the following to check for and remove any trace of catalytic impurities. Disconnect the throttle valve from the catalyst chamber and add several liters of 3% H2O2 to each fuel tank, Leave the tanks open and carefully roll the H2O2 around so that it contacts the entire inner surfaces of the fuel tanks. > WEAR RUBBER GLOVES, GOGGLES & RUBBER APRON Work slowly and carefully to avoid spilling even 3% H202. As you do this, carefully inspect the insides of the tanks (with a flashlight, if necessary) looking for any sign of catalytic decomposition. Drain this hydrogen peroxide through the feed line and out the throttle valve. Fill both tanks with 3% H202 as well as the entire feed line to the throttle valve. Let the SRLD sit this way for a good eight hours while you monitor it for signs of catalytic decomposition. If you see any (bubbles forming, H202 being forced out the throttle valve, etc.), leave the peroxide in the system for 24 hrs. or more. To drain the peroxide, pressurize the system to low pressure (10-30psi) and force the H202 out the throttle valve. 63Next, repeat this flush sequence with higher strength peroxide. If there were NO signs of catalytic activity you can probably go straight to 30% H202, otherwise go to ten percent for 24 hrs., and then thirty percent for 24 hrs. or more. REMOTE NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING The SRLD is a high pressure, high temperature system that utilizes a high energy fuel. All of this combined creates the potential for destruction for destruction of life or Property in the event of a catastrophic failure. b> ACCORDINGLY, EACH SRLD BUILT MUST BE THOROUGHLY TESTED BEFORE USE, EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY BUILT 10 OTHERS BEFORE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS. The safest way to do this is in an underground bunker (it need not be huge, just large enough to contain the SRLD), an/or at a remote location. If you live in the city, or a crowded metropolitan area, there may even be certain restrictions against operating an SRLD-type device on your property or within city limits. The author has not investigated this issue at all; check with your local fire department to see what codes and restrictions exist. [In fact, you should be advised that the author, Derwin Beushausen, has not looked into or investigated ANY legal aspects of SRLD ownership, construction, operation, OR any legal aspects of hydrogen peroxide possession or use. This book is solely concerned with the (literally) technological aspects of SRLD construction]. Besides having the SRLD unit shielded to contain any possible explosion, all initial testing should be done remotely with the operators a safe distance away. A MINIMUM OF FOUR PEOPLE SHOULD BE PRESENT AT SUCH TESTING. AN OPERATOR, A SAFETY MAN, A FIRST-AID MAN AND A DRIVER. The operators’ job is to man the controls and run the test. The safety man should stand by ready to cut electrical power and then operate the water-hose to dowse any spilled or spread peroxide, as well as fight 64fires (if and only if it’s safe to do s0...). The safety man must be well versed in the hazards of hydrogen peroxide, electricity, and fire, as well as well rehearsed in his role. Never test or operate without a complete game plan, including contingencies for dealing with accidents and failures of every type. Rehears this game plan with the test group thoroughly until you are competent before attempting the real thing. The first aid man should of course be versed in first aid including CPR, bums by fire and heat, hydrogen peroxide exposure and even non-test related accidents such as someone falling and breaking limbs, etc. The drivers job is to safely drive the transport vehicle to the nearest hospital or emergency treatment point while allowing the first aid man to continue first aid. This is particularly important if testing in a remote location. If testing in a city or non- remote location then the drivers job becomes to call for emergency services/rescue, while allowing the first aid man to continue his work. Again, this is not a book on first aid nor does it claim to be, so take the responsibility upon yourself to know what you're doing before you do it...A good suggestion would be to recruit a Doctor friend (MLD.) to act as first aid man (this shouldn’t be hard, considering the excitement of being involved in the testing and operation of a device as novel as the SRLD). This may all sound silly, but don’t take this advice lightly. Remember, welds can be weak, materials can have flaws and irregularities, unforeseen events can happen, soBE PREPARED! For the first test, the SRLD should be safely bolted or clamped to a massive fixture capable of restraining its’ 300Ibs plus static thrust. Lock the gimbaled exhaust manifold/catalyst chamber/control bars in position so they can’t be moved by the force of the thrust during this test. THERE MUST BE NO ORGANIC OR FLAMMABLE MATERIALS NEARBY, OR ON THE GROUND OF THE TEST AREA. ALL TEST PERSONNEL WHO WILL HANDLE, OR BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO CONCENTRATED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE MUST WEAR FULL SAFETY GEAR AND FIREPROOF (DYNEL OR DACRON) SUITS. After the unit has been thoroughly flushed with 30% H202 without showing signs of catalytic activity in the fuel tanks or feed lines, it can be fueled up with 90% H202. After all personnel have been cleared from the area the unit can be fired. Observation of the firing is perhaps 65best done by recording the event with a tripod-mounted camcorder, either wired to display it to a remote control center in real-time, or played back immediately after the firing. Give the remotely operated throttle one or two short bursts to heat the catalyst chamber and then open it wide and maintain full thrust until ail the fuel runs out. Attempt to empty the SRLD of all hydrogen peroxide by opening the throttle and blasting nitrogen through the system after all H202 has apparently run out. Then inspect the SRLD thoroughly. Remember, it is still red- hot! Look for cracks in welds and seams, evidence of has leaks and blow by, excessive heating and discoloration, leaks of H202 from the fuel feed system, warping, bulging (signs of imminent stress/rupture failure), and anything else you can think of. For this first test you should also connect a strain gage to the test bed fixture to record thrust developed. Also, time the entire firing to get a rough estimate of the mass flow rate of H202 through the system. Repeated tests of this kind may be necessary to determined safety and viability of the system; if any problems crop up, they will naturally determine the course of corrective action. PILOT TRAINING es After the unit has been determined to be safe and fully functional, but before manned free flight can occur, suitable pilot training will have to be administered. First and foremost, the pilot must have Suitable safety gear. This includes fireproof dacron or dynel suit (nomex is not recommended because of the somewhat porous nature of nomex; it can wick up H202 and allow it to pass through the material and contact the pilots skin - - however, nomex with an outer covering of rubber-backed dynel is okay, albeit hot). Test the suit first to make sure H202 cannot pass through it. A rubber Suit (impervious to H202) is okay, although this also is hot. Boots, gloves, goggles and helmet are a must. Kneepads and elbow pads are recommended. Next, a suitable tether rig should be used, to allow the pilot to make very short hops while safely tethered to an overhead trolley. He should be suspended by three ropes (Isupport and 2 late ral control) each manned so that slack can be taken up and the pilot ‘caught’ if he gets into an unusual or unstable attitude, After extensive training (only the pilot himself can determine when he’s ready), untethered short hops of several feet can be attempted. A 66ballistic parachute now becomes indispensable, and I don’t recommend flying the SRLD without one. One word of caution, however, ground personnel should be kept at a safe distance outside the rage of the ballistic parachute. Things can happen rapidly on a rocket-belt, and the concentration required to Operate it is so intense that it becomes difficult to be acutely aware of one’s surroundings; it would be unfortunate if a pilot got into a bad attitude and in panic, fired the ballistic parachute into a bystander. I don't know how much of a wallop those things pack but I would safely assume they are lethal at close range. Furthermore, a ballistic parachute may not be effective in the altitude range from approximately ten to fifty feet. Consult the manufacturer, and try to Set one that’s rated “0-0” (zero altitude — zero velocity) if possible. Otherwise, stick to ‘safe’ flight regimes. Remember, when you cut the throttle, thrust does not terminate instantly, there is some decay or tapering off because of the pressure contained in the volume of the hot gas manifold. THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS! HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS DANGEROUS! THE AUTHOR, Derwin Beushausen, UNEQUIVOCALLY ADMITS THAT OPERATING A ROCKET-BELT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS ENDEAVORS ONE COULD UNDERTAKE. THEREFORE, FLY AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you can’t personally be tesponsible for your actions then I recommend you don’t even attempt to build your SRLD. POSTFLIGHT LR After completion of a day’s series of flights, it's necessary to drain all remaining H202 from the fuel tanks, as well as flush out the lines, Blow clean dry nitrogen through the system to dry out, and pack away for storage. Catalyst beds also have a limited lifetime. If the thrust is getting weak or the peroxide is decomposing incompletely, the catalyst bed may be losing its activity or loading up. In either case, it’s necessary to disassemble the catalyst chamber and install a new bed of screens. Use this time to also check for erosion of the chamber and distribution plates. 67THE JET-BELT I bet I know what you're thinking . . . “What on earth is a Jet-Belt?” or “Is there any difference between a Jet-Belt and a Rocket-Belt?”. Well, let me begin this chapter by answering your questions and reassuring you that you are not ‘stupid’ if you do not know the answer. Indeed, many people do assume that they are one in the same, and for the sake of those of you who are not familiar with the distinctions I will attempt to explain the basic differences. First of all, the Jet-Belt is a device powered by a gas turbine engine, where on the other hand the Rocket- Belt is powered by a rocket motor using steam generated from hydrogen peroxide passing through a silver catalyst bed. I am not a scientist, and I’m sure there are those of you out there who can go into much detail about the differences, but that’s basically it. Besides being a whole lot larger and weighing extremely more than the Rocket-Belt, the Jet-Belt has the capability of traveling far greater distances and can perform tasks that the Rocket- Belt cannot even begin to perform. AMPHIBIOUS LANDING Be connalSSANCE ween FOREST- FIRE INSPECTION. } T. exet Pa nadie Ss SAS vk Above are examples of the Jet-Belts applications. It could fly fighters to strategic spots to aidan amphibious landing, and ahead of advancing, forces to scout out the enemy. Civilian users could speed to forest fires or carry out rescue attempts where none would otherwise be possible. Cliffs, canyons, and bodies of water offer no obstacles to a man in a hurry who has this personal flying device! ee, 68The reason this book does not go into great detail about the construction of a Jet-Belt is really simple. First, we can’t obtain the blueprints! Back in 1969 Bell Aerosystems sold all of their material pertaining to this to a company in Michigan called Williams International. To this day they are still working under contract for the U.S government on various Top Secret i programs. Now, although the Jet-Belt is not Soe deemed ‘classified’, they still refuse to atime. release any detailed information about this 7 device basically because it is proprietary information to remain secret to their company for future business related purposes. “ Secondly, unless your name happens to be - Donald Trump or Michael Jackson, you probably would not have the money it would take to build one of these devices! The Jet- Engine alone would cost anywhere from 80,000 to $100,000 to build (and that's taking for granted you have the blueprints to know how to build it!), not to speak of the S a surrounding apparatus that makes up the Jet- Belt in it's entirety. So, for your personal enjoyment and satisfaction, I have included a few photos of this fascinating device. It would indeed be exciting if we could build one of these devices for DreamQuest America, Inc. and hold various events for all of you, but for now we are simply dreaming of the prospect! I hope you are pleased with the little information provided in this chapter. Quote from 1969 news article "In one of the important aerospace developments of the century, the Bell Rocket- Belt concept is coming of age. Several recent innovations based on the famed flying system show the tremendous potential of the concept which, like the airplane, started out as a novelty but —_ eventually —_ revolutionized mankind." 69$10,000 INCOME-OPPORTUNITY! Let me begin this chapter by letting you know how thrilled I am to see that you actually have gone through most of this book and are now actually considering the option of making money with the Rocket-Belt once you have completed construction on it. Believe me when I tell you that there is definitely money to be made with your own Rocket- Belt! The Entertainment industry is constantly looking for new ‘gimmicks’ and such to open various acts and to attract and keep the audience in suspense. Well, the Rocket-Belt is such a device that will accomplish this and a whole lot more. As when © James Bond (pictured at right) uses the Rocket-Belt in the movie "Thunderball". This was one among many appearances that this amazing device has made on the big screen, although probably the most dramatic at the time! You may be thinking "come on, there's nothing new about the Rocket- Belt, it's been around for 40 years"! That's true, but just think about it for a moment. Have you PERSONALLY seen a flight of a Rocket-Belt in person? Probably not, but you probably have seen them flown on television or at least on the video we produced, and I bet watching the flight simply fascinated you. My point is this: Though the technology has been around for along, long time, we have not seen it used in a widespread manner. As a matter of fact, the ONLY person that we know of at the time of this books writing who is operating a Rocket-Belt entertainment business is a man by the name of Kinnie Gibson (see next section for more info.). He advertises his business his business in a way that makes him the number one Rocket-Belt pilot in the world (which I can verify as being the tmuth)! He makes himself available for movie productions, T.V. shows, special events, state fairs, and so on. The list is endless! He was even made available as a promotion for the Disney movie "The Rocketeer" which came out several years ago. Can you 70imagine doing this for a living? Well, it is being done, and now it is made available to you. This man is making a good living booking his Rocket-Belt flights at events alll over the world. I personally don't think it's fair for one man to be so overworked simply because there hasn't been anyone else willing or able to build their own Rocket- Belt and give him a little competition! And, believe me, it would be little competition. There are far more Opportunities out there than you could ever imagine. The Rocket-Belt will attract attention no matter where it appears or who is operating it. You don't have to worry about not looking good enough or having a charismatic personality to sway the people! Crowds will gather and be moved to excitement simply by the dramatic view of an individual flying like a bird and landing gracefully like a feather with a simple back-pack strapped around his body. And don't worry about the demand diminishing in any way whatsoever as a result of more and more people building Rocket-Belts, Indeed, the price per performance may come down slightly as a result of competition, but the demand will never cease or even diminish in my opinion. If, as a result of DreamQuest America, Inc. publishing this book, people begin building and flying their own Rocket-Belts all over the country, I believe the interest in Rocket-Belts will actually begin to increase dramatically and the demand to actually see one in person will skyrocket! Back in 1984 the Olympic Committee hired a gentlemen by the name ‘ of Bill Suitor to fly a Rocket-Belt in the opening ceremonies. Mr. Suitor flew from the torch down to the main field in the stadium taking him approximately 20 seconds. The reported income he derived from that 20-second flight (as reported from outside sources) was around $10,000. Yes. He made this for doing F. something we would probably do for free if given the chance! - But this is by far not the only example to point to. As mentioned earlier, Kinnie Gibson is 71making a living flying his Rocket-Belt today. He began back around 1984 after Bill Suitor decided to retire. He worked on various productions such as the "A-TEAM" (pictured), publicity flights for hotels, various commercials, and he even had one publicity job that took him all the way to Egypt where he flew around the head of the Sphinx! Can you imagine that? A few years ago, Mr. Gibson flew his Rocket- Belt as the climax to a Michael Jackson concert (pictured below). This footage is available on the Michael Jackson video "Dangerous". Kinnie continues to thrill and amaze audiences wherever he appears, and I wish him the best in all his future endeavors related to the amazing Rocket-Belt! Thope what I have written here motivates you to begin construction on your own Rocket-Belt. Nothing would please me more than to see hundreds of people from all across America flying a Rocket-Belt for fun & profit as a result of the effort I have put into this book. Remember to always' do what you enjoy. Life is far too short to live in a ‘dream’ world where we simply fantasize about what we would like to do one day! I believe that we should live life with passion and Squeeze every ounce of''living' from each and every day. I would like to end this book by inspiring you to go for your dreams. Don't let anybody talk you out of it. If you have a dream of building and flying a Rocket-Belt someday . . . than GO FOR IT! Like the Nike commercials say: JUST DO IT’! You hold within your hands your own destiny. If you believe the Rocket-Belt will play a ae part in your destiny, than don't let anything get in va a the way. This has been an incredibly fun project for es ( J me to put together, and I hope this has been ies enjoyable reading for you. Now, the next page will lead you on a journey to discover other interesting Tesources. 72Personal Flight Devices (Photos, Resources, and web-sites) It truly is amazing how after all these years since the initial development of the Rocket-Belt device, there is still intense interest among the general public. This fascination goes far beyond the Rocket- Belt, and into personal flight in general. On this page I have attempted to give you resources which will aid you on your quest for more knowledge about this device that we both love, as well as other flight devices under development. I hope this will be useful to you! www.rocketmaninc.com I highly recommend this website to any and all Rocket-Belt enthusiasts. This site is owned and Operated by Kinnie Gibson and Powerhouse Productions®. If you are interested in having this amazing ‘rocket-man' appear at a special event in your community, please do not hesitate to call them. These people are the number one rocket- belt act in the world today, and will be glad to book your event with an act that is second to none! [This is my personal, independent endorsement. Kinnie Gibson, Powerhouse Productions® and this website are in no way connected to Derwin Beushausen or DreamQuest America, Inc. nor do they endorse the book, video or any other products that we produce.] www.solotrek.com A new and exciting personal flight device is now under development for the new century! As of the publishing of this book, Millenium Jet, Inc. is working with NASA to develop the Solotrek which is light-years beyond the Rocket-Belt! The Solotrek may be the most promising attempt at individual flight on the horizon. It's being designed by two aerospace engineers in a small warehouse near the San Jose airport. BBDesigners Mike Moshier and Rob Bulaga have yet to fly it, but tests with NASA this summer (2000) are scheduled. They say the Solotrek will soar up to 9,000 feet at 80 miles per hour, using regular unleaded gasoline. It is designed to fly 150 miles between fill-ups. (pictured is another device that they have under development using the same technology. Called the ‘Duotrek’, it is meant for military applications. I am personally keeping my eye on this company . . . and so should YOU! This is definitely one website you must check out. www.moller.com Can any automobile give you this scenario? From your garage to your destination, the M400 Skycar cruises comfortably at 350+ MPH at 15 miles per gallon. No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets. Just quiet direct transportation from point A to point B in a fraction of the time. Three dimensional mobility for the same price as two dimensional mobility. No matter how you look at it, the automobile is only an interim step on our evolutionary path to independence from gravity. The Moller Skycar has been under development for some time now, but it is interesting. 4