gliding the english channel on a 6ft carbon fibre wing! [Archive]

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Sridhar Rajagopal

July 31st 03, 07:24 PM

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html

Sridhar Rajagopal

July 31st 03, 09:59 PM

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Yes, but no one had made any big leaps (no pun intended!) until the so
called birdman, with his wingsuit, some time in the 90's. If I remember
correctly, he made a record glide with his wingsuit, for a horizontal
distance of 7 miles. This was just with some webbing between his arms
and legs (of course, with advanced technology, materials, etc). 
 
This one is amazing in that the horizontal distance spanned was 35 km,
at speeds of upto 220 kph (stabilised to 130-190 kph). The aspect ratio
of the carbon fibre wing was 6:1 . 
 
For me, the interest lies in the new technology, and the feasibility of
more to come. Man had always wanted to fly - it will be amazing if it
can be done as close to a bird as possible. 
 
-Sridhar 
 
 
Big John wrote: 
<blockquote type="cite"
">
<pre wrap="">I can remember in the late 20's there was a guy who did parachute
jumps at the air shows that came around each year.

He had designed a 'suit' where he had rudimentary wings when he held
his arms out straight and a horizontal stab when he held his legs
apart. With this getup he could maneuver around the sky and do rolls,
loops, etc.

A few years later after first seeing him, I heard that he got tangled
up in his chute when it opened it and had a streamer which killed him.

So, the current 'superman' who just glided across the English Channel
is nothing new <G>

Big John

On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 11:24:54 -0700, Sridhar Rajagopal
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" ></a> wrote:

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<pre wrap=""><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html">http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html</a>
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Sridhar Rajagopal

July 31st 03, 10:00 PM

Yes, but no one had made any big leaps (no pun intended!) until the so
called birdman, with his wingsuit, some time in the 90's. If I remember
correctly, he made a record glide with his wingsuit, for a horizontal
distance of 7 miles. This was just with some webbing between his arms
and legs (of course, with advanced technology, materials, etc).

This one is amazing in that the horizontal distance spanned was 35 km,
at speeds of upto 220 kph (stabilised to 130-190 kph). The aspect ratio
of the carbon fibre wing was 6:1 .

For me, the interest lies in the new technology, and the feasibility of
more to come. Man had always wanted to fly - it will be amazing if it
can be done as close to a bird as possible.

-Sridhar

Big John wrote:

>I can remember in the late 20's there was a guy who did parachute
>jumps at the air shows that came around each year.
>
>He had designed a 'suit' where he had rudimentary wings when he held
>his arms out straight and a horizontal stab when he held his legs
>apart. With this getup he could maneuver around the sky and do rolls,
>loops, etc.
>
>A few years later after first seeing him, I heard that he got tangled
>up in his chute when it opened it and had a streamer which killed him.
>
>So, the current 'superman' who just glided across the English Channel
>is nothing new <G>
>
>Big John
>
>
>On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 11:24:54 -0700, Sridhar Rajagopal
> wrote:
>
>
>
>>http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html
>>
>>
>
>
>

Big John

July 31st 03, 10:49 PM

Sridhar

They are making small turbo-jets for Model Aircraft (5-6 inch diameter
and 6-8 inch long). They have been limited to someting like 35# of
thrust to keep model speed down. Why wouldn't one of those (35-50#
thrust) be ok to tie onto the wing for cruising. They burn a lot of
fuel (turbine down low) but would be something to go fly your turbo
jet powered 'bird' <G>

Want to bet that something like this is not far away? <G>

Big John

On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 14:00:25 -0700, Sridhar Rajagopal
> wrote:

>Yes, but no one had made any big leaps (no pun intended!) until the so
>called birdman, with his wingsuit, some time in the 90's. If I remember
>correctly, he made a record glide with his wingsuit, for a horizontal
>distance of 7 miles. This was just with some webbing between his arms
>and legs (of course, with advanced technology, materials, etc).
>
>This one is amazing in that the horizontal distance spanned was 35 km,
>at speeds of upto 220 kph (stabilised to 130-190 kph). The aspect ratio
>of the carbon fibre wing was 6:1 .
>
>For me, the interest lies in the new technology, and the feasibility of
>more to come. Man had always wanted to fly - it will be amazing if it
>can be done as close to a bird as possible.
>
>-Sridhar
>
>----clip----

Sridhar Rajagopal

July 31st 03, 11:09 PM

Big John wrote:

>Sridhar
>
>They are making small turbo-jets for Model Aircraft (5-6 inch diameter
>and 6-8 inch long). They have been limited to someting like 35# of
>thrust to keep model speed down. Why wouldn't one of those (35-50#
>thrust) be ok to tie onto the wing for cruising. They burn a lot of
>fuel (turbine down low) but would be something to go fly your turbo
>jet powered 'bird' <G>
>
>Want to bet that something like this is not far away? <G>
>
>
>
Now you're talking! That's where I was going with this! I wouldn't mind
being the test pilot! :-)) And add small ailerons, and elevons, and hook
it up to a mind controlled band (something like they show on Discovery
Channel), and you can fly like a bird!

Malcolm Teas

August 1st 03, 06:22 PM

Big John > wrote in message >...
> Sridhar
>
> Haven't figured out how to launch yet but to land have one of those
> emergency chutes that are power ejected. Put a steerable chute in it
> and when ready to land, shut turbine down, blow the chute out, and
> then steer it to a safe landing.

Y'all oughta check out powered parachutes. They're also called
paramotors. A Google search will find plenty of sites. These are
folks who use a type of steerable parawings for gliding. Some have
attached motors and propellers in cages on their backs to be able to
lift off when and where they want, weather permitting.

Usually it's for low and slow flight, but some have gotten up to FL180
and above.

-Malcolm

Jeff Franks

August 1st 03, 06:32 PM

The question I have is where do they draw the line between skydiving and
gliding/soaring? One requiring a license, one not. Not that I'm aiming
for more restrictions, but add a couple of control surfaces to this thing,
and you have an airplane?

"Sridhar Rajagopal" > wrote in message
...
> http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html
>

Jeff Franks

August 1st 03, 06:33 PM

Heres a different story with a pic and video...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/946434.asp?0ql=c7p

"Jeff Franks" > wrote in message
...
> The question I have is where do they draw the line between skydiving and
> gliding/soaring? One requiring a license, one not. Not that I'm aiming
> for more restrictions, but add a couple of control surfaces to this thing,
> and you have an airplane?
>
>
> "Sridhar Rajagopal" > wrote in message
> ...
> > http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html
> >
>
>
>

Kevin McCue

August 1st 03, 09:59 PM

Would certainly meet the weight limits for ultralight glider. No license
required...

--
Kevin McCue
KRYN
'47 Luscombe 8E
Rans S-17 (for sale)

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Sridhar Rajagopal

August 1st 03, 10:07 PM

Wow! Neat!

Jeff Franks wrote:

>Heres a different story with a pic and video...
>
>http://www.msnbc.com/news/946434.asp?0ql=c7p
>
>
>
>"Jeff Franks" > wrote in message
...
>
>
>>The question I have is where do they draw the line between skydiving and
>>gliding/soaring? One requiring a license, one not. Not that I'm aiming
>>for more restrictions, but add a couple of control surfaces to this thing,
>>and you have an airplane?
>>
>>
>>"Sridhar Rajagopal" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>
>>>http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>

Sridhar Rajagopal

August 1st 03, 10:11 PM

It looks like he was referring to the opening of the parachute. Sounds
like as he did the somersault, part of his glider caught on the lines.

Some article said that he jettisoned his wings before opening his chute,
but the video clearly shows his wings still on him as he is landing.

-Sridhar

Larry Dighera wrote:

>On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 12:33:45 -0500, "Jeff Franks"
> wrote in Message-Id:
>:
>
>
>
>>http://www.msnbc.com/news/946434.asp?0ql=c7p
>>
>>
>
>Quotes from the link above:
>
> “IT’S PRETTY cold up there. I still can feel nothing,” the
> self-styled “God of the Skies” told reporters after a hard
> landing. Baumgartner told reporters that he had a close call as
> soon as he jumped out of the plane. “I went directly into the
> opening with my legs,” he said, “so I had to cut my glider in
> pieces because it was hanging up on the lines, but I made it and
> that’s great.”
>
>Can anyone explain what Baumgartner means by, “I went directly into
>the opening with my legs?” Is he referring to the opening at the rear
>of the jump-plane, or part of the apparatus he was wearing?
>
>At the end of the first video it looks like Baumgartner may have done
>a backward somersault into his shroud lines upon deploying his chute.
>
> Baumgartner, who was equipped with cameras and high-tech tracking
> gear, said he had to follow his two planes over part of the
> channel when cloud cover blocked his view.
>
> The flight was stressful but well worth it, he added. “At high
> altitude I flew into my own shadow, which the morning sun exposed
> on a cloud together with a rainbow,” he said. “I don’t think
> anyone has experienced that before.”
>
>Being IFR over the Channel somewhere within a 10 mile radius,
>Baumgartner would have been a difficult target for pilots to
>see-and-avoid.
>
>The video showed contrails streaming from the toes of his boots. That
>might be a productive area to explore for increasing his L/D.
>
>

Paul B

August 1st 03, 10:15 PM

Flying or falling across the channel ;)

P

"Sridhar Rajagopal" > wrote in message
...
> http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030731/mxth002_1.html
>