Make: Online : Fly without booking a flight

Fly without booking a flight

Yves Rossy, a former Swiss military pilot, spent 5 years developing these foldable carbon fibre wings that each hold two kerosene-powered jet engines allowing him to fly, literally, like a bird, horizontally. Pretty amazing project that looks like it came right out of the next James Bond film.

Yves Rossy - Photo Gallery of the Flying Man

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Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: Fred Clausen on April 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM

'Literally' like a bird?

I thought birds flapped their wings? This guy made a neat little jet plane to strap on his back.

Does a 777 fly literally like a bird?

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Posted by: dock on April 10, 2008 at 11:56 AM

Albatrosses and eagles are don't fly like birds either?

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Posted by: RocketGuy on April 10, 2008 at 12:23 PM

Leave off the nit picking, dude is flying.

I saw the first version, glad that he's made progress with the 2nd version. The only big down side is that the turbines he's using cost a great deal, both in price and running costs. I'm wondering if a larger/slower wing with less thrust might be a more viable solution for those of us who want to fly w/o taking out a 3rd mortgage. And of course being able to take off w/o a plane drop would be nice.

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Posted by: mikey_d on April 10, 2008 at 1:33 PM

So he has enough thrust and enough wing area to actually generate lift? Or is he just gliding forward (faster thanks to the jet engines) as he descends with the help of gravity? There's a big difference between the two...

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Posted by: Anonymous on April 10, 2008 at 2:03 PM

Obligatory Quotes

Buzz Lightyear: "This isn't flying. This is falling with style".

Red Forman: "Where's my damn jet pack".

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Posted by: Michael Fusion on April 10, 2008 at 5:43 PM

actually

it was buddy who said "falling with style." (jealously)

picking a bit but it was an "obligatory" comment.

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Posted by: law on April 11, 2008 at 6:21 AM

yes, he does generate enough lift to fly level and even climb!

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