Designing Rocketman

Its not easy designing a rocket pack wearing hero if your attempting anything resembling historical accuracy. Apart from the obvious lack of flying men in 1936, there is also the small fact of just how would a man in 1936 go about using a rocket strapped to his back? How would he control it? How would he steer it? Disney's 'Rocketeer', set in 1938 uses the simplest of control mechanisms. A simple on off button and a fin on the Rocketeers helmet to steer. This gives Rocketeer a very nice art deco helmet, but it begs the question, how can you see whats going on around you if turning your head turns your trajectory? I'm not convinced that the human form is aerodynamic enough to make a fin on a guys head all that effective either. In the recent movice 'Iron Man' the Iron man steers (in flight) by virtue of two thrusters on his palms. This would probably work if it were possible to actually build small retro rockets on Rocketman's palms, or perhaps his fore arms, but unfortunately (as my brother Philip pointed out) firing these might actually break his wrists. Iron man has power armour where as Rocketman, operating in the 1930's has only the most meager technology at his disposal and his armour is wholly inferior.

So here is what I've come up with. The main garment is a modified, padded flight suit with an asbestos lining. Over this he wears a 'chemico' flak jacket (these were originally employed by the British in World War One) with an attached groin shield. On his head Rocketman wears a modified paratroopers helmet with a fin. The idea is this assists in steering the rocket, though the rocket pack has its own steering system with smaller retro-jets behind each shoulder. Rocketman wears standard pilots goggles and his face and neck are covered with a silk scarf.

His lower arms are protected by steel vambraces with the left arm terminating in the rocket control mechanism (don't ask me how this works because I don't have a clue, its classified top secret). The controls for the pumps, and the master control switch for the rocket pack are located on the belt. Rocketman wears steel capped boots and steel greaves (with asbestos lining) to protect his legs. The pistol is a .455 Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver, though this is not Rocketmans usual fire arm (that being a ZK383 heavy submachine gun).

On the whole I quite like it. It looks home made and has a certain period feel to it. Its not flashy at all and doesn't make him look like a 'super hero' which I like. The whole idea is, Rocketman fits in with the other weird tech that characterizes the RM games.