landing a birdman suit.. it IS doable..?

[kevin922 0]

Okay - so I admit, I'm one of those people who believes that at some point it will be possible to land a birdman suit. Call me crazy if you will, but I seriously think it is possible - perhaps even in this day and age. I was thinking on the way up to altitude this past weekend of a way it may be doable. It hit me - stunt people jump off 12 story buildings all the time and land on those huge inflatable pillows... what would the vertical speed be from a fall like that? at least 60 MPH right? You can get a birdman suit down to that fall rate, right? If you could find someone to create a air pillow the length of a runway wouldnl't that be plenty of room to land a birdman suit? (somewhat safely)

The other idea I had is a way aways, the technology isn't here yet - but having some type of wheels strapped to your chest and be able to "swoop" in for a landing thus creating enough forward speed to create lift at the last minute.. course you screw up your timing you're screwed.. :)

[nicknitro71 0]

Down a steep ski slope I can see it. Out of a flat runaway, no thanks.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[PhreeZone 20]

Speeds of sub 40 are possible for amounts of time and then with the SkyRay its been clocked at 0 fall rate before.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[ernokaikkonen 0]

From the birdman website:

"During our test flights we have reached temporary vertical speeds of 8 m/s or 27 km/h (18 mph). "

After that was written I've heard that negative descent speeds have been momentarily recorded with the Skyflyer. I don't have a reference for that right now though.

Erno

[Macaulay 0]

From 12 stories, you hit about 35 - 40 MPH.

While the fall rate may be dropping (and not really low enough, IMO), the forward motion is still really intense. Hell, one of the main reasons "lift" is being achieved is because of the high horizontal speed.

Maybe on long, smooth 45° slope, with wheels on your chest and feet.

- Mac

[fudd 0]

I believe it's a good chance of surviving landing the wingsuit in a downhill ski slope. A speed of 27km/h and maybe 130 km/h horisontal is about the speeds of professional downhill skiers. When a downhill skier falls, he usually survive. Often just bruised, often just some broken bones but somtimes it goes terrible wrong.
Downhill ski slopes have a 70° descent angle (aprox, at the steepest parts). If you do a perfect approach/landing you could swoop the hill with your feet.
I think landing the wingsuit is abaout as crazy as doing an intentional fall during downhill skiing.

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[thegman 0]

Not just no, but hellllls no!Why would you want to die trying to land a wingsuit when you can simply land your canopy.

http://www.freefallmaniacs.net

[arlo 0]

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Not just no, but hellllls no!Why would you want to die trying to land a wingsuit when you can simply land your canopy.

Kinda makes you wonder (and use word replacement):
"Why would you want to die trying to land a canopy when you can simply land in your plane?"

blues,
arlo

[thegman 0]

Good point, except the probability of dying trying to land a wingsuit is very high.There would likely be several fatal attempts before it would be done successfully.For those pioneers who are willing to die because it would be cool to land a suit.If your that passionate about it.Go ahead.I'll be watching.C YA

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http://www.freefallmaniacs.net

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[arlo 0]

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Good point, except the probability of dying trying to land a wingsuit is very high.There would likely be several fatal attempts before it would be done successfully.For those pioneers who are willing to die because it would be cool to land a suit.If your that passionate about it.Go ahead.I'll be watching.C YA

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...and the probability of dying while trying to land, hell, lets just say INFLATE the first canopies was not?
Easy cowboy. :) You're reading WAY too much into it. I have no intentions of landing my wingsuit...nor was it ever implied that I would, so if you plan on watching ME do it, you'll be staring into space for a long, long time. :) My goal was to draw a parallel between what some people thought using parachutes for the first time and what some people may think about landing a wingsuit. Will people die trying to land a wingsuit? Sure...just like some people still die trying to land their canopies. Calculated risks....

arlo

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[quade 4]

Calculated risk -- yes.

In the case of a ram-air parachute, the calculation is fairly easy and to successfully pull it off really doesn't take much more than a slide rule during the design stage.

In the case of landing a wingsuit, you'd probably need a computer during approach and landing.

This has been the subject of another thread in which we tried to show some of the difficulties involved in landing a wingsuit. Check it out HERE.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[arlo 0]

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Calculated risk -- yes.

In the case of a ram-air parachute, the calculation is fairly easy and to successfully pull it off really doesn't take much more than a slide rule during the design stage.

In the case of landing a wingsuit, you'd probably need a computer during approach and landing.

This has been the subject of another thread in which we tried to show some of the difficulties involved in landing a wingsuit. Check it out HERE.

AARGGHH!! Sorry Paul. :) I used the term "calculated risk" in the most figurative sense...it most definitely wasn't meant literally. But while on the subject...I would venture to say that it would most likely be done with landing gear.

blues and guess alot of us are Chicago bound...yeah baby,
arlo

[Macaulay 0]

Would anyone attempt to land an 8 sq ft canopy?

- Mac

[effinjump 0]

perhaps we could land into a massive amount of energy absorbing material, such as fresh whipped cream. REAL whipped cream made with plenty of nitrous oxide. :-)

Rob Tonnesen

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

[Macaulay 0]

Like in the Final Fantasy movie... but different.

- Mac

[arlo 0]

wah...wah...what are you talking about, Rob?

arlo

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

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perhaps we could land into a massive amount of energy absorbing material, such as fresh whipped cream. REAL whipped cream made with plenty of nitrous oxide. :-)

Ah.. My RV is always set up for just such emergencies.

Chuck

[effinjump 0]

where were you during WFFC?

Rob Tonnesen

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

[ostrich 0]

You've actually seen cans of whipped cream with the nitros oxide still in them?

I thought the nitros is removed at checkout...at least that's what I tell my girlfriend by the time I get the cans home.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

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where were you during WFFC?

Key West, FL on business; very unfortunate. My roommate Josh was there as my proxy. I believe he showed you that a couple of the thread-throughs on the wing of my GTi had pulled out on an 11-way flock. This year has been an almost total wash for me as far as boogies and competition goes.

[JGarcia 0]

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I believe he showed you that a couple of the thread-throughs on the wing of my GTi had pulled out on an 11-way flock.

Was this the result of normal wear and tear? Which tab numbers (from the top tab of the wing) pulled out? Also, which wing(s)?
--Jairo

Low Profile, snag free helmet mount for your Sony X3000 action cam!

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

It was two of them about midway up on the wing side. The tabs, if not cut to the correct length, will only be caught by one pass of the sewing machine. This was what was up on that suit. I subsequently checked all the rest of them and found it in my best interest to run another couple of passes slightly closer to the outside; it's pretty bulletproof now.

Chuck

[quatorze 1]

You know that in theory , it is possible to build a belly flying formation so large that it will move so slow that no one has to pull.

I will start the sign up right here.
1)
2)
3)

BTW I can get you the Brooklyn Bridge fro cheap

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[skydiverek 63]

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You know that in theory , it is possible to build a belly flying formation so large that it will move so slow that no one has to pull.

I will start the sign up right here.
1)
2)
3)

BTW I can get you the Brooklyn Bridge fro cheap

Yes, NASA scientists calculated, that if 200 people linked in freefall, they could land without opening their parachutes. All without using wingsuits; just normal RW jumpsuit.

The trick here is that there must not be any gaps (or 'holes') in the formation - just body next to body creating a continues surface. Imagine whatching a successful attempt - 200 people descending slowly as a human canopy and landing unharmed!

[kevin922 0]

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Yes, NASA scientists calculated, that if 200 people linked in freefall, they could land without opening their parachutes. All without using wingsuits; just normal RW jumpsuit.

The trick here is that there must not be any gaps (or 'holes') in the formation - just body next to body creating a continues surface. Imagine whatching a successful attempt - 200 people descending slowly as a human canopy and landing unharmed!

Humm.. now that just doesn't seem possible.. BTW i remember hearing some genious hooking up the rockets they used to launch aircraft off carriers to his car, set the thing off and realized he couldn't shut it off and ended up wrecking his car or ripping his bumper off or something.. i wonder if you could somehow attach something similar to you and launch it right before you hit the ground so that you create enough forward speed to create lift on the birdman suit... thus you could land it. Kinda like a cross between a birdman and a rocketman.

:)