Now you have to believe a man can fly [Neat photo]

The Times (UK) ^ | December 30, 2006 | by Charles Bremner in Paris

[aculeus]

For those who are bored with hang-gliding or find skydiving just too dull, a Swiss airline captain has devised the ultimate aerial thrill: flying like a bird.

Thanks to high technology and nerve, Yves Rossy has come closer than anyone to realising the ancient dream of soaring free, flitting through the sky, guided only by the body. As well as a crash helmet he wears a small pair of wings and four tiny jet engines.

As he skims the Alps at up to 187mph (300km/h), the only thing that the former fighter pilot has come up against so far is the Swiss law.

“They were totally confused,” said the birdman, whose flying suit gives him a passing resemblance to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. “The authorities said that I was an unregistered aircraft and to fly, you need a licence. I told them, ‘No. To fly, you need wings’.”

The 47-year-old pioneer does not live up to the image of the stolid Swiss captain. Boyish and brimming with enthusiasm, he is a hero in the world of those extreme sportsmen — or borderline nutters — who are devoted to the quest of human flight.

After millennia of fatal experiments, the skills of Icarus and Superman remained a fantasy until the recent advent of powered flight, hang-gliding and skydiving. In the past two decades, free-fall enthusiasts have developed webbed “wing-suits” that allow them to glide and even perform aerial ballet. But the direction is always downwards, followed by a parachute landing.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The enviro-wheenies will insist that he reequip with smokeless engines.

[gregwest]

There was an article back in June in a British paper about a special forces outfit that does this. They said they can jump from a plane outside denied territory and fly in 120 miles at a speed of up to 220 mph with such a system. Here's the original article. Link to Special forces to use strap-on Batwings

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"he would need at least 100+ MPH to take off"

In more advanced models that's where the roller skates will come into play.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

And the takeoff roll???

[Lancey Howard]

Paging Gerald Bull.

[smoketree]

And bomb racks

[RightResponse]

I got him penciled in for a meeting with a rock wall...

Go ahead... put it in ink.....

[B4Ranch]

That video is beautiful! The landing looked like it could be quite hard on the knees.

For Yves Rossy to design and then personally fly this rig I think it shows that he isn't getting enough luvin' at home.

Myself, I'll stay with a small Lear or a comfortable Cessna.

[DeweyCA]

SpecialOps will be looking into this soon instead of their long-distance gliders. Cool.

[Two Thirds Vote Aye]

Incredible! Thanks lysie! That guy is something else!

The snow FINALLY quit last night here on the Front Range, but it is walloping the eastern plains of Colorado and western Kansas. Seeing the Sun and clear blue skies today was wonderful!

[RunningWolf]

I know that looks really fun and it is, as long as everything is going right.

But he has 4 little kerosene jet engines going full bore with no rudder or elevator control, and he has to count on all those engines generating symmetric thrust all the time, plus no engine fires etc.

All it would take is one engine failure and he is in a fast & flat spin.

[whipitgood]

My cmputer is so old, it soesn't do video. Something about the vacuum tubes heating up.

[dcwusmc]

Watch the video at the previous link. He takes off by jumping out of a plane, gets his speed up in the dive, flies around and then lands by parachute after folding the wings. It is truly amazing.

[bannie]

Can't you imagine the freedom you'd feel up there?

[narby]

$20 says he can't maintain a fixed altitude.

Read the article. You lose.

The earlier version with two engines maintained level flight. The version with four engines flown this fall climbs at 1000fpm.

[Kevmo]

I thought I read a similar article in Popular Science but I can't find it there. Here's where the military is taking this kind of technology...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1648903.htm



'Wings' to carry paratroopers 200km
A new military parachute system which fits wings on soldiers could enable them to travel up to 200 kilometres after jumping, Jane's Defence Weekly reports.

The system, which involves the development of new modular carbon-fibre wings, will mean that aircraft can drop parachutists from 9,150 metres into an area of operations without flying into a danger zone.

Trials of the modular wing are being developed by the German firm Elektroniksystem und Logistik and Draeger.

They are due to finish by the end of 2006, with the entire parachute and wings combination expected to be available during 2007.

Peter Felstead, the editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, says the new system has been in use with the German Army since 2003.

But he says the development of the new wing means soldiers can travel much further than the current 48 kilometres.

"The new wing will also reduce the impact of wind conditions on the jumper and allow operatives to travel up to 40 kilometres carrying loads of around 100 kilograms," Mr Felstead said.

"The system is reportedly 100 per cent silent and extremely difficult to track by air on ground-based radar systems."

Jane's Defence Weekly reports that the next stage of the development will utilise small turbo-jet drives, as used on unmanned aerial vehicles, allowing jumpers to be carried longer distances without jumping from such extreme heights.

[alfa6]

On a somewhat related note that reminds me of this commercial. You might want to turn up the sound a bit if you like Wagner:-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrkJydbSInM

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"The landing looked like it could be quite hard on the knees."

Thus the need for someone to invent shock absorbing roller skate knee pads.

[Yo-Yo]

And the takeoff roll???

Is performed from the airplane he jumps out of. This is a modified form of skydiving.

[Yo-Yo]

But he has 4 little kerosene jet engines going full bore with no rudder or elevator control, and he has to count on all those engines generating symmetric thrust all the time, plus no engine fires etc.

Those are jet turbines developed for the Radio Controlled model airplane community. They are fully throttlable.

Here is a video of a model Concorde:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/229248/rc_jet_concord_with_escort_jets/