Man Attempts To Cross English Channel With Jet Wing 175
Back in May, we told you about Swiss pilot Yves Rossy and his personal jet powered wing. It seems Mr. Rossy will now try to cross the English Channel with his invention. The flight was planned for Sept. 25 but had to be canceled due to poor weather. Yves will leap from a plane more than 2,500 meters off the ground, fire up his jets and try to make the 35-kilometer flight from Calais in France to Dover in England. If all goes well, the flight will take about 12 minutes. I'd like to officially ask Mr. Rossy for a review model for Slashdot.
Transformers (Score:5, Funny)
Awesome (Score:2)
That is so freakin cool. My inner 13year old is drooling for one of our own.
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Pffffft.. Transformers... yeah right.
There are not enough weapons. This guy must be a Power Ranger.
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No no no. He is Buzz Lightyear. To Infinity And Beyond!
Centurions.... (Score:5, Informative)
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All it needs is a couple of missiles near the wing tips.
That'll show 'em!
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Except that he can't take off by himself and isn't expecting to fly faster than about 95 knots.
Wingnut! (Score:3, Funny)
Got his cap screwed a bit too tight.
Does that outfit he's wearing (Score:2)
come with yellow pants?
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No. Only brown ones.
Thats Right (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Thats Right (Score:5, Funny)
I bet he can breathe in space too.
Damn!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Damn!! (Score:5, Funny)
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Present her with a stack of insurance policies that include statements from the insurance company that you will be covered while using one. Make sure she has a calculator handy. Problem solved.
Provided of course you can find such policies. Don't forget the pre-flight checks and stay away from final kisses before take-off.
Talk about a... (Score:2, Interesting)
I don't think he'll even be high enough above the ground for a parachute if everything doesn't work out!
Re:Talk about a... (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't think he'll even be high enough above the ground for a parachute if everything doesn't work out!
At 5100 feet, he'll be covered.... [fabulousrocketeers.com]
Re:Talk about a... (Score:5, Informative)
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Think of them as feeters (PI/10 of a meter).
It's close enough.
Re:Talk about a... (Score:5, Informative)
He doesn't actually have a static line setup, of course, but this is only to illustrate the low altitude limits that parachutes can be used at. BASE jumpers don't jump from very high, for example.
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His initial altitude when he leaves the plane will be 2,500m.
To be less ambiguous about my statement, his initial altitude when he leaves the plane and turns on his rocket pack will be 2,500m.
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He uses a parachute to land the thing every time he flies it. So yes, he'll have enough altitude for that.
Re:Talk about a... (Score:5, Funny)
What, he's not landing by running very, very fast?
Disappointed I am, sir; disappointed.
Halo (Score:2)
Buzz Lightyear (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Buzz Lightyear (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Buzz Lightyear (Score:4, Funny)
He'll probably make it if you've watched his videos.
Shit, I haven't seen any of his videos yet! We have to get on this guys, this man's life is in our hands!
Re:Buzz Lightyear (Score:5, Insightful)
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Not only that, but he's launching at 2,500m. Typical GA airplanes have a glide ratio of around 10 to 1. Some much more, some much less, but 10 is a decent first guess if you don't know.
Launching from from 2,500m would give him a glide to 25km, without the engines. The engines only have to get him another 10km. Launching from 2,500m with 90kts of forward velocity is not the same as launching from a standstill on the ground.
What he's doing is more like "falling, with style."
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Then you have never truly loved.
It's about time (Score:2, Funny)
Try that in the US (Score:5, Funny)
Not mentioned in TFA, he tried to do this at Kittyhawk where the Wright brothers made their historic flight. But there was some trouble getting clearance with the US authorities....
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I'm horrified that anyone modded my parent post informative, unless they were being overly ironic.
Mathesar, was that you? My post wasn't a true historical document, it was meant to be what on Earth we call "entertainment". Sorry 'bout that.
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Flashbacks... (Score:2, Funny)
Why am I thinking of G.I. Joe from the 80's?
Now we just need red and blue laser guns that look like M-16's.
And maybe a ROFLCOPTOR.
Can you imagine.. (Score:2)
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Now I want a donut.
Landing gear? (Score:2, Funny)
Ouch.
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No landing gear. He lands via parachute.
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If he can land on it he is a better (and more abrasion-resistant) man than I.
Information about the jets (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Information about the jets (Score:4, Funny)
OMFG! I so need to strap a cat to one of those!
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$10KUS.
F model rocket engines are much cheaper (if you can still find one).
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Since he's starting by leaving a plane at about 8,000 feet he could probably manage with no engines. Just a half decent hang glider.
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From the manual:
Safety Precautions
If other persons or animals are present while operating the JetCat ENGINE, ALWAYS ENFORCE THE PROPER MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCES FROM THE TURBINE!
The recommended minimum safe distances are:
In front of the turbine = 15 feet
On the side of the turbine = 25 feet
Behind the turbine = 15 feet
In case of a mishap, fire extinguishers should be on hand at all times. JETCAT USA recommends the CO/2 variety. Powdered extinguishers will contaminate the precision components, upsetting the integ
He'll never make it (Score:5, Funny)
With balls that big there will be too much drag.
Re:He'll never make it (Score:4, Funny)
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"I'VE GOT BALLS OF STEEEL!"
The funniest part of course... (Score:5, Informative)
... is that news like that clearly demonstrate that 49% of Slashdot poters are living in a cave and 49% other are living under a bridge. What other explanation could there be for all those inane comments?
Once again: The guy has been flying this thing for quite sime time now! It flies already! And it flies well! No, his feet are not in the path of jet exhaust! Yes, he will make it more than a few feet from the ground, because he's actually taking off _from_ _a_ _plane_! And no, he'll not crash on landing, because he actually uses _a_ _parachute_ to land!
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We had videos of this guy, rocketbird and the mountain swooping team here on /. less than a year ago. All very cool and successful flights.
But... (Score:3, Funny)
... what happens if he doesn't make it?
I wonder if his will has a provision- "If the bloody thing blows up and murders me, the design for it becomes creative commons- hopefully those Linux nuts can figure out why it blew up!"
Little does he know we'd just fork it into a million different versions, all similar but incompatible (and all unable to run Halo2), then Microsoft would bring out JetPackXP Professional and everyone except us would use that instead...
They might shoot him down (Score:2)
... does he have clearance to fly this route? What if they confused him for being a terrorist or being a cruise missile or something?
lol (Score:5, Funny)
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Nice username.
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fly or glide? (Score:2, Interesting)
Why so high to start with?
He doesn't have fuel to make it across fully on it's own power i suppose.
From 2500 meters one could glide across in a variety of craft it appears. This would seem about twice the glide ratio of a small plane, doesn't sound too hard with a powered wing. Especially as it seems the wing actually does fly ok, it must be a range issue.
Heck if you let me start high enough i could fly my car across. Ok i might need oxygen and better shocks but still....
Looks like fun nonetheless, at least
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"Why so high to start with?"
He could have started on a runway but he has a problem with not being able to run fast enough to get the thing flying. Jumping out of an airplan is the only way to gain enough speed.
Landing is easier. He has a parachute.
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In which case he needs more thrust. i.e. have the thrust greater than the weight of him plus machine. Then running ceases to become an issue.
No take-off (Score:2)
Why so high to start with?
The wing has no take-off capability; it needs to be dropped from a moving airplane.The plane is simply flying above the 1200m threshold for parachute deployment. I guess, he's giving himself some head room in case things go pear-shaped. I'll go rtfa now.
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700km on a hang glider depends upon catching a lot of updrafts & favorable winds. You'll have a lot of trouble finding those crossing the Channel.
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Just attach him to one of those steam catapults that are used to launch jets from carriers.
Simple and effective.
Gliders can do it easy.. (Score:4, Informative)
Since he only needs a L/D ratio of about 14 (35 km distance with a 2.5 km altitude start), any decent glider can do the same thing, with no thermal lifts, and no jet engines, just pure glide slope.
Re:Gliders can do it easy.. (Score:5, Informative)
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Yes, obviously his glide ratio must be much worse than that, since he needs the jets. Or perhaps this is just to look cool. How large a wing would you have to strap onto a suit to get a glide ratio of 15 to 1, with the non-aerodynamic shape of a human body?
I guess it's more agile, too.
Been there, done that (Score:4, Informative)
The things people will do ... (Score:2)
Well... (Score:2)
Yves Rossy has a long record of arerial stunts, he is definitely a pro. And he and his team have put a lot of thinking into this project.
If you think this is a stupid idea or that he'll end up in the Darwin awards hall of fame, think twice:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/04/25/brazil-priest-flying-party-balloons-lost-at-sea.aspx [nationalpost.com]
This priest with too much faith but no brains had the brilliant idea of "flying" in a paragliding harness strapped to a lot of party balloons. The articl
Watch it live on National Geographic (Score:2)
National Geographic Channel will be having a live coverage of the event.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/flight-of-the-jet-man-3757/Overview [nationalgeographic.com]
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And here... we... GO!
Aaaand... (Score:2)
He landed safely at Dover.
It took him about 10 minutes to cross the channel, and about 2-3 more to land.
Cheating? (Score:2)
Seems like cheating as he isn't actually launching from French soil. He's just flying over the English Channel. Eh.
To Infinity and beyond!!!! (Score:2)
I'm sorry, it just looks like a Buzz Lightyear costume.
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Uh, that's cool and all... (Score:2)
But does Mr. Ghostrider get to do flybys of the tower even if the pattern is full?
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Little premature? (Score:2)
I'd like to officially ask Mr. Rossy for a review model for Slashdot.
Let's wait and see if it works first...
Top Gear, are you listening? (Score:2)
You! Are! A! Toooyyy! (Score:2)
i'm with nausicaa (Score:2)
The mehve still looks cooler
Could you elucidate? (Score:2)
I suspect you are actually thinking of Leucothea, who persuades Odysseus to abandon his raft for something.
Re: (Score:2)
clearly you haven't seen Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind [wikipedia.org], which holds a much dearer place in many people's hearts than the Homer character.
New tag? (Score:4, Funny)
'WhatCouldPossiblyGoWright'
Weather dependent (Score:2)
He was supposed to overfly my house at the weekend for the Icarus Cup. I was all set up with a high definition video camera to get some nice shots and was very disappointed that he couldn't fly due to the high winds. He had the same problem yesterday and the flight has been delayed.
I took some film of the balloons [vimeo.com] instead.
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I also want one, but only after I fully digest the heavy lunch I just ate.
Re:Could you explain that... (Score:5, Funny)
its like a car
Re:Could you explain that... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:His site? (Score:5, Funny)
It's here [darwinawards.com].
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Where's the link to his site?
You Tube video of him in action [youtube.com]
Rossy's website [jet-man.com]
I am your own personal Google.
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we'll just pass him there,
why should we even care?
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Re:he's gonna kill his feet... (Score:5, Informative)
A friend of mine is fitting 3 of those jets to his ASW20 glider.
I stood 10ft behind one when it was running. It was suprisingly cool so close. The temperature at the tailplane of the glider is below 50 degrees C, so it wont effect the composite glass/carbon flying surfaces
Must be something to do with the air expanding out of a relatively small nozzle, causing rapid cooling.
Re:he's gonna kill his feet... (Score:4, Funny)
Oh no an AC is complaining about my post, whatever will I do.
Did it ever occour to you that what is obvious to you may not be obvious to everyone asshole?
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