Author Topic: You got wings? (Read 833 times)

Maniac · « **on:** July 31, 2003, 04:46:06 AM »

Felix Baumgartner from Australia flew 33 kilometers. He jumped from an airplane 10.000 meters over Dover and landed in Calais.

Kewl!

Animal · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2003, 04:59:45 AM »

Is that thing powered?

Maniac · « **Reply #2 on:** July 31, 2003, 05:09:48 AM »

Nope, its an glider...

Swoop · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2003, 05:33:51 AM »

Why would anyone want to land in Calais?

Especially in an unpowered vehicle that won't be able to carry you outta there again.......

I mean.....eurgh......Calais, it's just a huge supermarket anyway, full of Brits stocking up on cheap beer.

And...er.....are you absolutely sure about the 10,000 meter's figure? 25 miles from 40,000 feet doesnt seem like a very good glide slope to me, plus that dude in the pic doesn't look like he's got an oxygen supply.

Dowding · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2003, 05:35:48 AM »

I think he's Austrian actually. I wonder if it is possible to actually gain altitude though and fly like a conventional glider.

Maniac · « **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2003, 05:39:08 AM »

Well you both could be right, the article says 10.000 meters and thats hes from australia... They could of couse be wrong...

By the way, he didnt "land" the glider, he open up the chute over calais...

Fishu · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2003, 05:55:53 AM »

Great.. a new way to go tax-free shopping.

They just need to continue on to make the flying cart, which you can be drag after you when going home.

Maniac · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2003, 07:03:03 AM »

He was from Austria.... and it was 9.000 meters...

Quote

A 34-year-old Austrian mechanic became the first person ever to fly across the English Channel without the benefit of an aircraft, gliding from England to France wearing only a specially-designed suit.

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner started his unusual journey from a point some 9,000 metres (30,000 feet) over the English port of Dover at 6:09 am (0409 GMT), and ended it 1,000 metres above Cape Blanc-Nez, near the French port of Calais, where he opened a parachute and landed at 6:23 am.

To launch him on his high-speed glide, he was taken up from Calais in a Skyvan aircraft, from which he jumped from high above Dover.

Baumgartner, who reached a speed of some 200 kilometres (120 miles) an hour during his glide was wearing an aerodynamic suit fitted with a 1.80 metre (six-foot) long carbon-fibre wing for the 35 kilometre (20 mile) glide.

He also had special breathing apparatus for the high-altitude start of the flight, and was protected from the extreme cold at such heights by his special suit.

The mission was named Icarus 2 after the mythical figure who came to grief after flying too near the sun, which melted the wax holding together his wings.

Air traffic controllers had granted him a 30-minute window -- from 5:45 to 6:15 am -- to make his jump, scheduling the event for early morning to avoid problems with conventional air traffic.

Baumgartner has a long track record of daredevil jumps. He has leapt from the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, one of the two Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur -- the tallest buildings in the world -- and the top of a mountain in Baffin Island, in Canada.

EDIT : One more pic

Ripsnort · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2003, 07:31:34 AM »

FYI for those who never went skydiving, you can "fly" laterally without wings, not that much, and the glide slope is incredible

, but you *can* move laterally. This guys wings must make that lateral movement incredible! Wonder what speed he was moving at? Usually terminal veloscity occurs at roughly 120 mph (or 200 mph if you pull your arms back)

Fishu · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2003, 07:38:13 AM »

I heard them saying on BBC he was travelling at approximately 350km/h.
Also was said he travelled 4 feets ahead for every 1 ft drop.
4 to 1 glide ratio

straffo · « **Reply #10 on:** July 31, 2003, 07:51:10 AM »

4 to 1 ?
It's close to the glide ratio of a brick

SFRT - Frenchy · « **Reply #11 on:** July 31, 2003, 10:08:21 AM »

Does a Skyvan can make it to 30K?

Ripsnort · « **Reply #12 on:** July 31, 2003, 10:14:50 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
Does a Skyvan can make it to 30K?

Probably, and probably very slowly above 15k!

mason22 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 31, 2003, 10:16:44 AM »

uhhh...so how do you land?

Ripsnort · « **Reply #14 on:** July 31, 2003, 10:17:42 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by mason22
uhhh...so how do you land?

Uhh, Mason, you might have to explain this to ALL FDB's...its a thing called a parachute. One that is not shot full of holes.