The111 1 #1 March 25, 2004 I realize that Bird-Man was not the first to successfully design and fly a safe, functional wingsuit, but as far as I know they were the first to bring it to the market for everyone to try, i.e. make it a commercial product. Why don't they have a patent or something? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the other two companies that are selling wingsuits didn't come along until after Bird-Man's success, right? I was just browsing through their sites and one of their manuals has sections lifted verbatim from the Bird-Man flight manual (unless I have it backwards and Bird-Man lifted theirs). Something about that doesn't seem right to me... Curious what comments others have on this topic... I always assumed that Bird-Man was responsible for the majority of wingsuit sales in the world (a small number to begin with), but now I'm curious. Maybe there was some sort of patent already standing from some prior wingsuit designer preventing Jari from patenting Bird-Man wingsuits? Or maybe he just doesn't care to stop the competition since in the end it might help further the ultimate goal: better suits and technology for human flight.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #2 March 25, 2004 It might be hard to patent because of the difference between the designs. Patrick had his design and I believe that Adrian is flying something similar. But Robert & Jari's suits are different in cut away system, zipper placement. They probably have very different airfoil sections. The Skyflyer is very different than the classic 1. The only specs they share is the fact there are Ram air wings with cells attached to a zip in suit. Loic has his design which is more like an all body envelope with some cells in the outer wings. This would describe his original crossbow and the S-fly. The matter wings are similar in planeform but utilize the body portions also as an airfoil and have more developed wingcells. None share a similar cut away system, a leg stow type system, materials or hardware are mostly unique to the individual manufactures. The creators of each of these designs are not sitting rich on profits or royalties to guard or protect. In the very small world of skydiving products there is this tiny segment of wingsuit customers. So its a limited market. We are lucky that wingsuit designers are more inovators and artists that use their own products. We get to go along for the ride.As to which one came first. Bird-man or crossbow, I don't know. I heard a rumor that Loic got his inspiration from someone in the gliding world who was cooking up something similar to his original crossbow. Robbi-and Jari wanted to get longer delays for base jumping and had heard of Patrick's achievments.But had never personnally inspected one of his suits. Matter clothing was around for a few years before doing their own suit when they had problems with the Italian production crossbow and could not get repairs. Loic took production of his crossbow to Solomen for probably similar reasons and hence the S-fly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #3 March 25, 2004 QuoteOr maybe he just doesn't care to stop the competition since in the end it might help further the ultimate goal: better suits and technology for human flight having had a long chat with ASAF from BM, that's exactly his mentality. Try and transform simple humans in birds. (that's like the next step of Darwin's theory on evolution Monkey-Man-Bird)scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #4 March 25, 2004 QuoteI was just browsing through their sites and one of their manuals has sections lifted verbatim from the Bird-Man flight manual... Something about that doesn't seem right to me... Some say that ,that is the greatest form of flattery. I too have noticed that there are some glaring similarities if not out right verbatim portions of text in the other manuals. It just reinforces the fact that Birdman Inc. sets the standard by which all others try to compare to. Plagarism doesn't infringe on a patent as far as I know. Besides, I don't and I know Jari doesn't see it as something worth squabbling over. QuoteWhy don't they have a patent or something? I believe they do have a patent, I vaguely remember seeing something from the patent office one day. QuoteMaybe there was some sort of patent already standing from some prior wingsuit designer preventing Jari from patenting Bird-Man wingsuits? There are some pretty interesting old patents on the previous wingsuit designs out there, all of which didn't work. Quotehe just doesn't care to stop the competition since in the end it might help further the ultimate goal:better suits and technology for human flight. Jari actually likes the competition because it stimulates the market and the creativity of everyone involved. In the end the consumer is getting a better product and flying longer and safer than ever before."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rustik 0 #5 March 25, 2004 QuoteJari actually likes the competition because it stimulates the market and the creativity of everyone involved. In the end the consumer is getting a better product and flying longer and safer than ever before. good lad is that jari! If it's safe it ain't fun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
