A Back to the Future fan has fulfilled a lifetime ambition of becoming the real-life Marty McFly as he took to the skies on a hoverboard using a jet pack he designed himself.
Incredible footage shows Sam Rogers recreating a classic cinematic moment alongside a DeLorean wearing the £340,000 flying suit that was built with a 3D printer.
The 24-year-old’s feat is believed to be the closest anyone has ever come to flying a real-life working hoverboard made famous by the 1989 blockbuster Back to the Future Part II.
The university graduate is design lead and test pilot for British aeronautical innovation companies Gravity Industries and AdditiveX.
The flying suit broke a world record in 2017 when it topped 30mph while being flown in Reading but is said to be capable of reaching more than 50mph.
A Back to the Future fanatic (pictured on the hoverboard) has fulfilled a lifetime ambition of becoming the real-life Marty McFly as he took to the skies on his very own hoverboard
Sam Rogers, 24, flew through the air alongside a DeLorean time machine, made famous by the 1989 blockbuster Back to the Future Part II
Sam, who helped re engineer the design of the jet pack, performed the stunt while wearing an authentic Marty McFly jacket, cap and trainers.
He said the Back to the Future films had always played a part in his childhood and inspired his fascination with flight, aerospace and design.
The 24-year-old, who was given a toy DeLorean as a tenth birthday present by his grandparents, said being able to fly a hoverboard for real was ‘a dream come true..’
He said: ‘I never thought I would even sit in a DeLorean, let alone capture something this cinematic – bringing a hoverboard probably as close as it has ever been to actually hovering.
‘For my tenth birthday I was given a DeLorean time machine, the design of this car was just the coolest thing in the world and more so the way the second movie illustrated flight.
‘In the film the vehicles didn’t need speed to take off, they hovered.There’s something about hovering that is just so magical to witness.
‘So I did the age ten equivalent of research, downloaded a load of hypothetical hoverboard plans and started sketching my own with fans, engines and magnets trying to work out how close this could come to reality.’
Sam explained that the jet suit – which helps him take flight whilst standing on the Hover-1 Drive Electric Hoverboard – was designed mainly with a 3D printer.
He said: ‘Now I’m 24, I helped design and pilot a jet suit, designed by former Royal Marine Richard Browning, which allows a pilot to fly with the minimal equipment possible.
‘I work on the design of the suit which is mainly 3D printed in metal and polymer.’
The 24-year-old performed the incredible stunt whilst dressed like Marty McFly from the film
The jet suit helps Rogers take flight with turbines on his back and arms and controls on handles
Rogers explained the movies inspired his interest in flight, aerospace and design
The 1,000 brake horsepower jet suit weighs 27 kilos and set a world record in 2017 for ‘Fastest speed in a body-controlled jet engine powered suit’ – as Richard Browning clocked 32.02mph (51.53 km/h) at Lagoona Park in Reading, UK.Despite hitting just over 30mph in the world record attempt, the suit can reach up to 50mph.
The suit has six kerosene-fuelled turbines located on the back and arms, each equipped with 50 pounds (22kg) of thrust. The flight path is completely controlled by human body movement as there is no remote control to steer the suit in any direction.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS news" data-version="2" id="mol-d8c47ae0-a732-11ea-8133-8f9bdbd9dd93" website McFly! Back to the Future fan hits air on hoverboard he created
