The Bell Rocket Belt was a personal rocket pack developed by Bell Aerosystems, successor to Bell Aircraft, for the United States Army from the mid-1950s. Engineer Wendell Moore led the work, and the pack used hydrogen peroxide that a catalyst broke down into hot steam and oxygen, which left through two nozzles the wearer steered with hand controls. Test pilot Harold Graham made the first free flight on 20 April 1961 near Niagara Falls, rising about a metre and flying roughly 35 metres in 13 seconds. Later flights reached about 21 seconds, 120 metres of range and 55 kilometres an hour. Public demonstrations followed, including one for President Kennedy, but the Army judged the limited fuel and the support crew needed too great a handicap, and it cancelled the contract. One belt is held by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
Facts
SignificanceA small personal propulsion device strapped on the back that enables a person to fly short distances; the Bell No. 2 belt was donated to the Smithsonian by Bell Aerospace in 1973. 2 Engine Class Connections
Of Make
Source Bell Rocket Belt (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Source Bell Rocket Belt (Wikipedia)OverviewQuote, Overview
Bell Aerosystems began development of a rocket pack which it called the
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Bell Rocket Belt (Wikipedia)Overview, country of originQuote, Overview, country of origin
for the US Army in the mid-1950s.
Sources
1. Bell Rocket Belt (Wikipedia)
History, Testing, first free flight
On 20 April 1961 (the week after Yuri Gagarin's flight), on a vacant spot near the Niagara Falls airport, the first free flight of a rocket pack was performed.
Lead
The Bell Rocket Belt is a low-power rocket propulsion device that allows an individual to safely travel or leap over small distances.
Overview, fuel
Its 5 US gallons (19 L) of hydrogen peroxide fuel provided only 21 seconds of flight-time so it did not impress the army.
History, Demonstrations, contract
The army refused any further expenditure on the SRLD program, and the contract was cancelled.
Overview
Bell Aerosystems began development of a rocket pack which it called the
Overview, country of origin
for the US Army in the mid-1950s.
View the Source2. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection: Rocket Belt, Bell No. 2
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collectionSummaryQuote, Summary
It is a small personal propulsion device strapped on the back and enables a person to fly short distances
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