Posted on 03/25/2007 11:38:23 PM PDT by zarf
Along with a few of Neil Diamond's hits, Elton John's "Rocket Man" is one of my guilty musical pleasures. I love the melody, but the lyrics are also a kick. "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids/In fact it's cold as hell." The Ananova article's headline -- "Rocketman takes to the skies" -- caught my eye with its allusion to John's song. It's an interesting article with two good photos that accompany the story. I don't understand how the Rocketman can breathe or stay warm, but can Evel Knievel be far behind?
UPDATE: Randy Tollefson writes with a link to the YouTube video:
As an airline pilot, I'll tell you that I have absolutely no interest in such a stunt. And as the (potential) father-in-law of a guy now at the Air Force Academy and on his way to AF pilot training, I'll tell you that if he did this to my daughter, he'd have me to answer to.
But it is fun to watch, nonetheless.
Rich Oliver writes:
He has four small turbine engines under the wing (jets, not rockets). He's not flying too high - no more than 10,000 feet, which means he would have no problem breathing. It might be a little chilly, but nothing too bad.
How is this "human powered" flight? Exactly what fuels those turbine engines?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5417019303200331106
Pretty cool!
prisoner6
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but cornbread? Is this just a personal thing? Or does the addition of red beans make an, uh, "energy source"?
Elton John? Can't stand to watch him let alone listen to any of his music. Neil Diamond, he's an entertainer.
My 6th grade classmate's Dad flew the jetpack for Bell Aerospace. He was the guy shown flying at Disneyland during the opening of the show every Sunday night. That was over 40 years ago.
Everything old becomes new again, someone said. I don't think it was Elton John.
Beans (red) and grain (corn) make a complete protein (usable by humans) when combined in the digestive system. Could also be beans and rice. Either one alone is an incomplete protein.
I can just imagine in the not so far flung future hundreds of flying terrorists equipped like this spread across any country they wish to play their pathetic game, some could have plain wrapped explosives, some nerve agents or waste radioactives and possibly man portable nukes.
Isn't progress wonderful while the world has legions of those wanting to use it for destruction?
It was either George Carlin or Ted Nugent.
I really, really want to live to see this---to do this, but they have to work out the problem of hotfoot first.
Four of the kinds of jet engines normally used on superscale RC model airplanes, i.e. rich-man's toys, they cost around 2K - 3K apiece. This guy has spent somewhere between 30K and 100K of his own money and achieved something where our own government and its contractors probably would spend a hundred million and four years later have nothing to show for it.
This isn't human powered. This is a guy with rocket taped to his butt!!!!!!!!! LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.