Personal propulsion device with hands free control

A personal propulsion device, comprising

• propulsion means for imparting thrust directly to a user's back, said propulsion means having a shrouded propellor assembly with a propellor disposed in a shroud and an inlet air horn generally at an inlet lip of said shroud, said inlet air horn having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said inlet lip and said air horn defining an inlet gap therebetween;
• one or more controls operatively connected to said propulsion means and configured to control a throttle, start/stop operation and/or thrust direction of said propulsion means;
• control means for hands free controlling of said propulsion means, including thrust magnitude and/or direction of thrust from said propulsion means, said control means comprising a glove configured to receive one or more fingers therein, said glove operatively connected to said controls;
• and
• gap control means for controlling the size of said inlet gap, said gap control means configured to reduce said inlet gap so as to reduce the noise generated by said propeller and to increase said inlet gap so as to increase propulsion.

A method of forming a gradiently flexible and warpable air horn for use with a personal propulsion device, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) stretching a stretchable fabric cylinder around a reinforcement hoop sized and configured to define a leading edge of said air horn;
• (b) positioning a first clamp hoop evenly around said reinforcement hoop, said first clamp hoop defining a first diameter;
• (c) inserting an inner second clamp hoop into said fabric cylinder;
• (d) tightening an outer second clamp hoop around said inner second clamp hoop, said inner second clamp hoop and said outer second clamp hoop defining a second diameter therebetween, wherein said second diameter is less than said first diameter;
• (e) placing said first clamp hoop into a first clamp hoop support and securing said outer second clamp hoop to a fixture base plate, said fixture base plate having vertical adjustment rods slidably attached thereto and interconnecting said first clamp hoop support to position said first clamp hoop support so as to achieve the desired shape of said air horn;
• and
• (f) applying a resin material to said fabric cylinder to achieve desired operation properties of said air horn.