James Bond: 10 Awesome Gadgets That Would Never Work In Real Life

5. The Jetpack (Bell Rocket Belt) Ahhhh, the jet-pack, for man has always wanted to fly independently. Of all the gadgets on this list, this the main one that was almost mass produced, and was close to becoming a common thing. You wouldn't really have thought it. Bond had one in the pre-title sequence of Thunderball. He casually slayed a Russian general before exiting to the balcony, where he equipped the jet-pack and used it to vault from the vantage point harmlessly to the street below where he could conveniently escape from his pursuers. The concept is incredibly cool, but the technical limitations of any real incarnation of the device are crippling to the device's overall appeal. It's a safe assumption Bond's jet-pack was heavily or entirely based on the Bell Rocket Belt. The device uses a chemical reaction between nitrogen gas and highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, which results in an temporary propulsion system capable of lifting the user off the ground, and propelling them forward. It's fairly basic, dependable science, but there's a big catch, and a few crucial details that made the U.S Army decide to pass up on the device and look into missile research with its budget instead. The capabilities of the device are incredibly limited, and would only actively work for up to 21 seconds. In addition, it was mainly useful in propelling you forward, not upwards which was the desired effect. Even if higher was capable, there's a distinct lack of safety features which would lead to broken limbs, and ankles, and rough landings. Thus the jet-pack is kind of a lame horse, as shown by the Bell Rocket Belt. Incredibly cool, and interesting, but pretty lacking in its day to day, or tactical applications in the field.