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"I did more research, and realized I almost would rather be a biologist than a writer, because there was incredible stuff going on!"
- Greg Bear

Copter Harness  
  A single person flying machine.  

The success of the Wright brothers brought out the inventor in many people; there were a number of attempts to create a very portable, single-person flying machine in the 1920's and 1930's.

They were half way home when a single flyer, hopping free in a copter harness, approached the little parade. The flier ignored the red warning light stabbing out from the police chief's car and slanted straight down at the huge star beast. John Thomas thought that he recognized that he recognized Betty's slapdash style even before he could make out features; he was not mistaken. He caught her as she cut power.


(Robert Heinlein: The Star Beast and copter harnesses)

Technovelgy from The Star Beast, by Robert Heinlein.
Published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1954
Additional resources -

Today, it is possible to buy the Vortex Sport Copter:

All "VORTEX" copter's have the new Shock-Mounted Rotorhead and our high-performance suspension system including swing-arm nosewheel suspension. The "VORTEX" standard engine is a Rotax 582, even though, a variety of engines can beadapted, such as Rotax 618 or the Subaru four-stroke series. Our company will work with the customer to outfit the "VORTEX" with the engine of his/her choice. This is a highly versatile airframe.

Compare to the individual flyer from Asteroid Pirates (1938) by Royal Heckman and the jump harness from Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) by Robert Heinlein.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from The Star Beast
  More Ideas and Technology by Robert Heinlein
  Tech news articles related to The Star Beast
  Tech news articles related to works by Robert Heinlein

Copter Harness-related news articles:
  - Skyray Human Glider Flight
  - AirScooter II Ultralight: Heinlein's Copter Harness?
  - Springtail EFV-4B Personal Air Vehicle From Trek Aerospace
  - First Jetpowered Flying Man
  - GEN H-4 Looks Like Heinlein's Copter Harness
  - VertiPod From Air Buoyant: Segway Of The Sky
  - CopterPack Is Robert Heinlein's 1954 Copter Harness
  - Robert Heinlein, Your Personal Electric Helicopter Will Be Ready In 2016
  - myCopter Personal Aerial Vehicle (PAV)

Articles related to Transportation
Tesla Electric 'Giga Train' Operational In Germany
San Francisco Autobus
Volvo's Autonomous Truck
Eviation Alice Electric Plane First Flight

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