During summer 2018 Andy will be putting together a team of expert skydiver and jumping out of a plane over Devon to attempt to play a game of real Quidditch just like in the Harry Potter films.
He’ll also be filming it for the BBC’s The One Show.
As part of the first series of Beyond Bionic Andy had an idea to get even faster while Speed Skydiving with the use of external power. He tasked two engineer friends, Dr Angelo Grubisic and Mike Curtis-Rouse to create a system.
After an initial trial with jet-powered rocket boots, then jet-powered thigh mounts the team, which included senior skydivers from Skydive Buzz in Dunkeswell, eventually decided on thigh mounted EDF (Electric Duct Fans). These may not sound impressive but are effectively electric turbine engines and can generate some serious power.
Andy jumped these prototype engines, a world first, on his Beyond Bionic show. The system worked but there is always room for improvement and the team are currently working at ways to improve things to generate more power and control and discussing other applications.
