Post by karl on Sept 27, 2008 7:28:35 GMT -7
I will speak from experience of the Swiss {My 1st wife was a Swiss in as much to her family} They have a tendency to be a bit crazy.
But in this case, the following is a fellow that is an adventurer and successful inventor. What this man has accomplished is very out-standing. For he has invented a machine of delta wing configuration powered by 4 miniature turbo-jet engine packs mounted on the lower wing mounts. The wing has not a fuselage, but in this stead, is designed to form fit his upper body as a strap-on. Simple and aerial efficient.
It may be noted: All flights are with out flight instrumentation and navigation equipment. The pilot must fly by clear air only as visual.
www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,580740,00.html
SPIEGEL ONLINE
09/26/2008 03:40 PMOVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL IN A JETPACK
-----Fusion Man' Flies from Calais to Dover----
Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy finally made his dream come true and flew across the English Channel with his own jet-propelled wing. "Fusion Man" finally had the perfect weather conditions to make the trip which took less than 10 minutes.
Yves Rossy always said he would cross the English Channel and now he has. What makes this journey special is that the Swiss inventor made the trip by taking flight using his very own jet-propelled wing.
Rossy, a former military pilot who is also known as "Fusion Man," made the 35.4-kilometer (22 mile) flight in less than 10 minutes. The adventure began when Rossy boarded a plane at the Marck airfield near Calais, France. Once the aircraft reached 2,500 meters (8,800 feet) he fired up the jets on his wing and leaped out, making the cross-channel trip to a field near Dover.
The 49-year-old had been forced to cancel the trip twice this week due to bad weather but on Friday the conditions were just right. "It was perfect," he told reporters after the flight. "Blue sky, sunny, no clouds, perfect conditions. We prepared everything and it was great."
As he approached British soil he looped over onlookers before opening his parachute with the wing still strapped to his back. Rossy wore a heat-resistant suit similar to that worn by firefighters and racing drivers to protect him from the heat of the turbines. The cooling effect of the wind and high altitude also prevented him from getting too hot.
The wing used by Rossy spans 2.4 meters (8 feet), is made of lightweight carbon composite and weighs about 55 kilograms (120 pounds) including fuel.
The Swiss inventor had wanted to emulate the French aviator and inventor Louis Bleriot, who became the first person to fly across the English Channel 99 years ago. That trip took 37 minutes.
smd -- with wire reports
Karl
But in this case, the following is a fellow that is an adventurer and successful inventor. What this man has accomplished is very out-standing. For he has invented a machine of delta wing configuration powered by 4 miniature turbo-jet engine packs mounted on the lower wing mounts. The wing has not a fuselage, but in this stead, is designed to form fit his upper body as a strap-on. Simple and aerial efficient.
It may be noted: All flights are with out flight instrumentation and navigation equipment. The pilot must fly by clear air only as visual.
www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,580740,00.html
SPIEGEL ONLINE
09/26/2008 03:40 PMOVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL IN A JETPACK
-----Fusion Man' Flies from Calais to Dover----
Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy finally made his dream come true and flew across the English Channel with his own jet-propelled wing. "Fusion Man" finally had the perfect weather conditions to make the trip which took less than 10 minutes.
Yves Rossy always said he would cross the English Channel and now he has. What makes this journey special is that the Swiss inventor made the trip by taking flight using his very own jet-propelled wing.
Rossy, a former military pilot who is also known as "Fusion Man," made the 35.4-kilometer (22 mile) flight in less than 10 minutes. The adventure began when Rossy boarded a plane at the Marck airfield near Calais, France. Once the aircraft reached 2,500 meters (8,800 feet) he fired up the jets on his wing and leaped out, making the cross-channel trip to a field near Dover.
The 49-year-old had been forced to cancel the trip twice this week due to bad weather but on Friday the conditions were just right. "It was perfect," he told reporters after the flight. "Blue sky, sunny, no clouds, perfect conditions. We prepared everything and it was great."
As he approached British soil he looped over onlookers before opening his parachute with the wing still strapped to his back. Rossy wore a heat-resistant suit similar to that worn by firefighters and racing drivers to protect him from the heat of the turbines. The cooling effect of the wind and high altitude also prevented him from getting too hot.
The wing used by Rossy spans 2.4 meters (8 feet), is made of lightweight carbon composite and weighs about 55 kilograms (120 pounds) including fuel.
The Swiss inventor had wanted to emulate the French aviator and inventor Louis Bleriot, who became the first person to fly across the English Channel 99 years ago. That trip took 37 minutes.
smd -- with wire reports
Karl