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Build Your Own Flying Lawn Mower

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lawn-ranger dept.

Ant writes "Ever seen a flying lawn mower (streaming; download 5.1 MB WMV file) before? I haven't. The WMV video file description says: 'FlyingThingZ Sky Cutter .40 V2 flying at Moon Lake's Annual Make a Wish Foundation Airshow for 2004'. More information can be found on the official Web site. Seen on Blue's News. My good friend, KaT, brought up a good question: 'Since lawns (also known as grass) live usually less than 6" from the ground, how would flying help them do their job better?'"

35 of 284 comments (clear)

  1. Just great. Yeah, that's what I need... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... to not just mow the grass, but to give my neighbor a haircut!

    1. Re:Just great. Yeah, that's what I need... by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... to not just mow the grass, but to give my neighbor a haircut!

      This may be a way to speed up recruits to Iraq. Line them all up outside, and have the thing fly in low: Bzzzzzzzzzzzt, and everybody is nice and trim with a smooth flattop. It can also be used to weed out the squeamish, who duck and run when they see it coming.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:Just great. Yeah, that's what I need... by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, everybody is nice and trim and now the same height.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  2. This looks fcuking dangerous... by Dr+Reducto · · Score: 5, Funny

    What's that in the sky?

    Is it a bird?

    Is it a plane?

    It looks....it looks like a lawn mower!

    FUCK!!! IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!!! DUCK!!!

    *Mower "Mows" through field of humans*

    1. Re:This looks fcuking dangerous... by MustardMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      You don't duck when something is COMING RIGHT FOR you, you shoot it. Duck and cover only works with lava. Duh.

    2. Re:This looks fcuking dangerous... by Zorilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      .....you must be new here?

      Offtopic in 5, 4, 3, 2...

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    3. Re:This looks fcuking dangerous... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      No, No, No...

      Duck-and-cover is good for when they drop a thermonuclear bomb on your house. That, and taking a hot bath to wash off the contamination.

      http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/04/ato mic_cafe.html
      http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/propaganda.html#co ldwar

  3. Okay, relax by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's just a model airplane, not a real lawnmower.

    My niece was killed by a flying lawnmower when she was 4. The thing leapt off the ground after hitting a stump and the rotation of the blades created enough lift to set it into flight. You'd have expected the automatic cutoff to kill the motor, but my brother in law held on to the thing and it just took off. She was playing on the second floor balcony when my BIL and the mower caught her upside the temple. Took her scalp clean off.

    She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing.

    1. Re:Okay, relax by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 5, Funny

      "My niece was killed by a flying lawnmower when she was 4.... She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing."

      What a recovery!

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
    2. Re:Okay, relax by ImTwoSlick · · Score: 2, Funny
      My niece was killed by a flying lawnmower when she was 4.
      [snip]
      She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing.

      Glad to hear she recovered from DEATH.

    3. Re:Okay, relax by nulltransfer · · Score: 5, Funny
      My niece was killed by a flying lawnmower when she was 4.

      She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing.

      I, for one, welcome our new undead overlords.

      --

      My dog ate my sig
    4. Re:Okay, relax by hazem · · Score: 2, Funny

      She turned me into a newt! ... ... ...
      I got better.

    5. Re:Okay, relax by Bull999999 · · Score: 4, Funny

      My niece was killed by a flying lawnmower

      She's better now

      Huh?

      I guess she just respawned.

      --
      1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d
    6. Re:Okay, relax by arose · · Score: 4, Funny

      Give your niece an Amulet of Life Saving today!

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    7. Re:Okay, relax by Aoreias · · Score: 5, Funny
      What a recovery!

      Indeed. Just a few repairs and the lawnmower was back in action later that week.

      --
      We've upped our standards. Up yours.
    8. Re:Okay, relax by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe she is part Newt.

    9. Re:Okay, relax by rjshields · · Score: 2, Funny

      She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing.

      It was touch-and-go for the lawnmower.

      --
      In this world nothing is certain but death, taxes and flawed car analogies.
  4. Yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Not quite the promised flying cars of the year 2000, but close enough for me. Now my life is complete. I can ride it right?

  5. Flying do-dahs by thedogcow · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, but can it mulch?

    --
    Yes! I listen to NYC Speedcore and do math at 3AM. I suggest you try it too.
  6. Ha ha ha! by The+Mainframe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, right, put a link to a 4.9MB file on the front page of slashdot. Gooood idea.

    Like shooting fish in a barrel.

    --
    --Bennett Prescott
    Former Lord Of Packets
    1. Re:Ha ha ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      amazingly the server is holding up quite well... i'm getting a good 10 mbps every time i download it (and i've downloaded it like 10 times just to be sure).

  7. Wow... by graffix_jones · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've discovered that I really have a liking for 'Industrial Squaredance' music...

    /me makes an appointment with his psychiatrist.

    1. Re:Wow... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 2, Funny

      See, the problem with seeing this video with this music in my line of work, in my location, and knowing my co-workers is this: If I let them see this video all productivity will stop and the new mission will be to make a lawn mower fly. But not just a little pushmower. And not a model either. My redneck coworkers are very inclinded to do some very stupid stuff and before you know it one of them will attempt to fly their John Deer tractor over Nashville.

      On second thought, I think I'm going to put this on a CD and take it to work monday.

      --

      "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

      Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  8. It's just like the old saying goes by otterpop378 · · Score: 3, Funny

    If a lawnmower had wings, it wouldnt bump it's ... wait... that's not right.

  9. Early adopter... by tentimestwenty · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm still waiting for the flying toaster.

    1. Re:Early adopter... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      My niece was killed by a flying toaster when she was 4. The thing leapt off the counter after hitting it with a fork and the rotation of it created enough lift to set it into flight. You'd have expected the automatic cutoff to kill it, but my brother in law held on to the thing and it just took off. She was playing on the second floor balcony when my BIL and the toaster caught her upside the temple. Took her scalp clean off.

      She's better now, but those first few hours were pretty harrowing.

  10. Re:BullShit by commodoresloat · · Score: 1, Funny
    Get a book on basic physics, then explain again...

    Will this physics book include information about how he brought his niece back from the dead?

  11. I'm buying one right now by atarione · · Score: 3, Funny

    a. that thing is hella kewl

    b. it will surely teach my neighbor to STFU about my lawn care habits, when it flys by his 2nd story window.

    c. who needs c? a and b are convincing enough for me

    --
    actually I am happy to see you, however that is in fact a banana in my pocket.
  12. Is it a bird? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I always felt sorry for the people who yelled "is it a bird?" and "is it a plane?" during the intro. Do these people get excited every single time they see a bird or plane?

  13. There are updates available for your lawnmower. by raam · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ahh, mediocrity+ detection tool installed.

    Friday night surrelity patch applied.

    Your evening is protected from mundanity.

  14. Re:BullShit by GMC-jimmy · · Score: 3, Funny

    [BLOCKQUOTE][I]Will this physics book include information about how he brought his niece back from the dead?[/I][BLOCKQUOTE]

    Maybe if it has lots of pictures.

    --
    __________________________________
    Free your mind - Flush your toilet
  15. Only A Quote From 'Firefly' Is Appropriate: by Caraig · · Score: 4, Funny

    "This must be what going mad feels like."

    --
    "I am an Adept of Tantric VAX."
  16. Re:overkill by mikewren420 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Personally, I get pretty good results - and a nice, trivial amount of peaceful exercise - from an inexpensive, quiet, low-tech reel mower.

    I'm sorry, you must be foreign. ;)

  17. Flying car joke or beheading joke? by lashi · · Score: 2, Funny
    Hmm... should I go with the boring old flying car joke or should I go with tasteless beheading joke?

    Sigh, it's Friday night, I think I will go out and get a life instead.

    Oh, Who am I kidding? I am on slashdot.

  18. Re:Nothing that amazing by blancolioni · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, I bet you're a hit at parties.