Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Swiss Man Flies With Jet Powered Wing

Posted by timothy on from the no-passenger-airbags-no-hybrid-engine dept.

NotBornYesterday writes "After spending $190,000 and 'countless hours' building a set of jet-powered wings, a Swiss man has successfully demoed this ultimate mother-of-all-toys. After jumping from a plane like a skydiver, he then lit the four jet engines and proceeded to fly around a valley in the Alps at up to 186 miles per hour. His site is here, if you want to see shots of him in action. 'I still haven't used the full potential,' he said."

8 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. OFN? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    This news is AT LEAST several months old!

    Here are some youtube clips of him:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-66AcTo9TU

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEXxkWXncuo

  2. Re:Well... by phyruxus · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hear the Brits developed this technology in the mid-80's, but abandoned it when they could not find a way to make it leak oil.

    With apologies to britons and MG lovers everywhere.

    --
    "A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
    "d'Oh!" ~Homer
  3. Famous last words... by HydraSwitch · · Score: 5, Funny

    'I still haven't used the full potential,' he said.

    Feh.

    Definitely famous last words.

    1. Re:Famous last words... by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      'I still haven't used the full potential,' he said.

      Full Potential == Darwin Award

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  4. Making Sense by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 5, Funny

    at up to 186 miles per hour.

    I gather that this number makes some sense in metric.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
    1. Re:Making Sense by rcw-home · · Score: 5, Informative

      I gather that this number makes some sense in metric.

      Good call - 300 kph = 186.411mph

  5. Re:It is pretty old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Parachutes and paragliders tend to be unpredictable and are not particularly safe, doubly so at speeds exceeding sound
    Please mod up +1 informative. I had no idea that parachutes and paragliders were unsafe when flown at 770 mph.
  6. Re:Landing? by c6gunner · · Score: 5, Informative

    At the speed they are talking about, a bird hitting this guy in the head, even with a helmet, stands a good chance of knocking him out. Then you're going to have a dead bird as well as a dead wing-rider.


    Naw. You've got the same problem with motorcycles - a buddy of mine had TWO birds hit him almost simultaneously, while he was doing 200+ mph. One nailed him in the head, cracking the face-shield, while the other one turned itself into jello inside the bike's headlight. Not only did it not knock him out, but he even managed to retain control of the bike.

    Most birds don't have much weight, and modern helmets are built with some heavy-impact in mind (no pun intended). You'd have to hit a friggin condor to get knocked out.