A 22-year-old South African man, Keanu Rust, has designed and built a functional Iron Man suit inspired by the Marvel superhero. Rust, who graduated in 2020, has held various jobs since high school and sets aside money for materials each paycheck. He estimated that it took him two years to build his first prototype in his spare time, costing him R30,000 to R40,000. Rust is currently working as a personal trainer at a gym.
One of his first jobs was at an engineering company, where he learned to work with metals and build parts for machines. However, he is not studying engineering at university due to the expense and other life circumstances. Despite this, Rust has given life to his dream of building an Iron Man suit.
The first prototype is constructed from a combination of aluminium and carbon fiber. Rust also custom-made the weapons mounted to the suit, including a replica gatling gun mounted to its back and guns mounted to the arms. Both weapons are designed to shoot blanks, but the barrel openings are only about 3mm in diameter, making it impossible for a live bullet to be fired without breaking the guns.
A firearms licensing expert explained that technically one needs a license to manufacture prototype weapons in South Africa like Rust has done. However, the laws are not strictly enforced when it comes to blank guns, and attempting to apply for such a permit as a hobbyist would likely result in blank stares.
Rust's suit has holders for spare magazines in the thighs and a small rocket launcher mounted in the shoulder. A motorized panel slides out of the way to reveal the launcher before firing. A fine steel mesh mounted on the face plate allows for great visibility while hiding his eyes from the outside view. The suit is acceptable for a prototype, but some restrictions will be remedied in the final version.
