the first time i saw yves rossy i was amazed, but also slightly disappointed. i found it impressive that this man has made something which is, in over-simplified terms, a man with a wing strapped to his back with some RC jets. however, the disappointment was finding out that he needed to be dropped out of an aircraft, and land with a parachute, essentially making the guy a parachutist who can stay up there for a little longer…
so, heres a thought. why is it that no one has taken this idea, and built up on it? transform the man with a wing on his back into a proper aircraft again, and make an aircraft with a pilot flying prone, and enclosed within the aircraft. why would anyone do such a thing? well if rossy can reach the speeds he is reaching, then some additional weight in making a fuselage and some larger fuel tanks for longer range would still be possible, and still maintain reasonable speeds (or just strap on a more powerful set of jets). pop in an undercarriage as well, and its a lightweight aircraft with reasonable speeds, and depending on how it is constructed, probably easy to store as well.
this has been something that has been nagging me for a while, so discuss. would be interesting to hear other peoples opinions on this.
By: BeeJay - 1st December 2010 at 20:19
I like the skateboard idea. I had this picture oh him coming to land and his little legs a blur.
By: Wyvernfan - 30th November 2010 at 08:23
Isn’t it really either a case of:
a) Falling with style.
Regards,
kev35
Sounds like you’ve been watching Buzz Lightyear kev35! 😀
By: jbritchford - 25th November 2010 at 13:21
make an aircraft with a pilot flying prone, and enclosed within the aircraft.
A matter of comfort on the part of the pilot; can you imagine how painful his neck would be laying prone for hours with his head up to look where he is flying? 😉
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th November 2010 at 11:34
He could strap a skateboard to his stomach for landing, or a surfboard for a water landing :diablo:
By: hiigaran - 25th November 2010 at 08:10
My view, not having seen him, is that he is essentially a powered glider, with the ability to prolong his descent, but always descending except when using stored energy to swap speed for height.
That being the case, to get him off the ground would require much more powerful engines, which add weight, which means more structure…
Keep on down that road and you end up designing the Bede again.
Moggy
so i guess this is where more powerful engines come into play. ive seen this done before, where some guy designed this tiny aircraft powered by a pair of RC jets. so more weight shouldnt be a problem as long as there is still enough lift and thrust. considering that the pilot is prone, drag should be considerably less due to a lower frontal area. as for lift – BWB?
By: kev35 - 25th November 2010 at 00:13
Isn’t it really either a case of:
a) Falling with style.
b) Falling without common sense.
c) Powered skydiving.
Regards,
kev35
By: Moggy C - 24th November 2010 at 23:52
My view, not having seen him, is that he is essentially a powered glider, with the ability to prolong his descent, but always descending except when using stored energy to swap speed for height.
That being the case, to get him off the ground would require much more powerful engines, which add weight, which means more structure…
Keep on down that road and you end up designing the Bede again.
Moggy
By: hiigaran - 24th November 2010 at 22:42
im not sure i understand you there. care to elaborate a little on that the problem might be?
By: Newforest - 24th November 2010 at 21:49
Think you mentioned the problem, undercarriage, weight, drag. 😉
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November 24, 2010 at 8:47 pm