Why is Jetman flying alongside airplanes and fighter jets?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Jetman, a personal flight device developed by Yves Rossy, which allows an individual to fly alongside airplanes and fighter jets. Participants express excitement about the technology, its capabilities, and the potential for future developments in personal aviation. The conversation includes technical inquiries about control mechanisms, safety concerns, and speculative ideas about enhancements and applications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe the Jetman as an impressive achievement, noting its stability and the unique control method involving body movements rather than traditional controls.
  • Questions arise regarding the reliability of the engines and how the Jetman would handle a motor failure during flight.
  • There is speculation about the potential for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities, with concerns about the safety of take-off procedures given the speeds involved.
  • Some participants express a desire to try the Jetman wings themselves, highlighting the excitement surrounding personal flight technology.
  • Discussion includes ideas about future enhancements, such as adding solid rocket boosters for increased performance.
  • Concerns are raised about the risks associated with take-off and landing, suggesting that these phases could be particularly dangerous.
  • Participants mention the possibility of using external power to start the engines, questioning the current capabilities of the propulsion systems.
  • There are references to historical experimental aircraft and the potential for the Jetman to appear in popular media, such as a James Bond movie.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express enthusiasm for the Jetman and its technology, but there are multiple competing views regarding safety, control mechanisms, and the feasibility of future enhancements. The discussion remains unresolved on several technical aspects and safety concerns.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include uncertainty about the specific mechanics of control, the exact performance characteristics of the engines, and the safety implications of various proposed take-off methods. Some assumptions about the technology's capabilities are not fully explored or confirmed.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in aerospace technology, personal aviation, and experimental flight devices may find this discussion engaging and informative.

Ivan Seeking
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Jetman! Individual flight

...Following a line of predecessors of flying men, this Swiss man who's lifetime passion is flying, once flew for the Swiss army at the commands of the Mirage III, then went on to fly as captain on Airbuses, and now has not only created and developed wings which allow him to fly, but also built and personally tested them over the past 7 years.

Finally, and this since last Autumn, his dream became reality mainly because of 4 model-engines which were built under his wings. With these, he can fly at over 200km/hr at the conquest of mountain summits. During the flight, Yves's body becomes the likes of a bird and other than a gas handle, Yves does not pilot his wings but veritably flies it, by using various light body movements that he has learned to handle with perfection. These body movements are equal to those that birds use to fly...

And like Batman, when he flies alongside airplanes they can only look and admire him when he activates the acceleration button which makes him disappear at an incredible speed through the blue skies. [continued]
http://www.jet-man.com/actuel_eng.html

Watch the video. Incredible!

I want I want I want...now! now! now! :-p
 
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ohhhh ahhhhhhhh that does look like fun!
 
WOW!

Ausgezeichnet!

That's bloody impressive! Especially the stability. Hopefully the engines are reliable. I wonder how it handles a 2-1 if one motor fails?

Yeah, I want one too!
 
Not something for Evo.
 
All I can say is Effin' A! I have so many questions I'd like to ask him. But first, I want to ride! Astro is right on. What an achievement.
 
What a blast! Sign me up!
 
Holly smokes..
Fantastic.
Watching the movie,at one point I even thought the Jetman would return on the board of the plane while flying next to it.
But when reconsidering the idea I guess that would be too dangeorus stunt .
 
AHHYYIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Unbelievable!
 
O_____O
awesome!

I want to try it!

that's amazing
 
  • #10
Is he just using weight shifts for control? I didn't see any movable surfaces on the wings. Sure seemed stable and in control though!
 
  • #11
tehno said:
Holly smokes..
Fantastic.
Watching the movie,at one point I even thought the Jetman would return on the board of the plane while flying next to it.
But when reconsidering the idea I guess that would be too dangeorus stunt .
I think there would be too much turbulence in the wake.

I wonder how easy it is to do a roll.

Of course, I'd like one with a long range and high ceiling. :biggrin:

Or shoot the works and go suborbital. :-p
 
  • #12
Re Berke: The only mechanical control that he has is a throttle and body movements.

This almost qualifies as a sci-fi superhero device. Measured on the pucker-meter, this has to rate as one of the greatest inventions of all time.
 
  • #13
Astronuc said:
Or shoot the works and go suborbital. :-p

Give it some time, and somebody will probably try this with solid rocket boosters.
 
  • #14
berkeman said:
Is he just using weight shifts for control? I didn't see any movable surfaces on the wings. Sure seemed stable and in control though!
"During the flight, Yves's body becomes the likes of a bird and other than a gas handle, Yves does not pilot his wings but veritably flies it, by using various light body movements that he has learned to handle with perfection. These body movements are equal to those that birds use to fly..."
 
  • #15
The banking seemed smooth.

Also -
Yves is actually occupied to develop a second wing with ascensionnal and aerobatics capacities.
:-p :cool:

I want some wings of carbon! :smile:
 
  • #16
Ivan Seeking said:
Give it some time, and somebody will probably try this with solid rocket boosters.
A big bottle rocket and a parachute. :smile:
 
  • #17
Can you say JATO?
 
  • #18
Ivan Seeking said:
http://www.jet-man.com/actuel_eng.html

Watch the video. Incredible!

I want I want I want...now! now! now! :-p

Oh my god...
 
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  • #19
AHAHAHAHHA, impressionnant!
 
  • #20
I am surprised we haven't seen this in a James Bond movie yet.
 
  • #21
I think it's too new to be in a James Bond movie.

Jet-Cat is the manufacturer of the propulsion motors.

http://www.jet-cat.de/index-Dateien/index.htm

I found different sites for JetCat or Jet-Cat, but I am not sure of the affiliations. Apparently there are various models of turbines for large aircraft models.

http://66.193.186.18/jetcat/galleries.asp

As far as I can tell, each motor is about $2-3K
 
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  • #22
I've seen those motors before. They're simple beasts but a very nice little package.

On a side note: I sent this link to a couple of co-workers here. It has since made it's way to every corner of the building. I can't say I have ever started an e-mail chain like that before.
 
  • #23
Very amazing, and awe inspiring. Wow...
 
  • #24
FredGarvin said:
On a side note: I sent this link to a couple of co-workers here. It has since made it's way to every corner of the building. I can't say I have ever started an e-mail chain like that before.
I imagine that such a personal jet would be very appealing to those in the aerospace/aeronautical community.
:smile:
 
  • #25
They say their next goal is a take off... I definitely wouldn't want to be near the ground with those engines going. :bugeye:
 
  • #26
I wonder about the take-off because wearing that a person isn't going to be running fast. I wonder what the take-off speed is because a person can't run much more than 10-15 mph. Take-off would be the most dangerous part since there is little room for error and hitting the ground much above a good run could produce serious injury or death.
 
  • #27
That is a problem. Even if you managed to take off from a free-rolling cart on rails, the risk of a face-plant at 100+ mph would be daunting. I guess he could install rocket engines instead of the jets to get enough thrust for vertical take-offs, though the transition to level flight might be hairy, too.
 
  • #28
I wonder how long would it be till you could buy one of these from the market.
 
  • #29
dontdisturbmycircles said:
They say their next goal is a take off... I definitely wouldn't want to be near the ground with those engines going. :bugeye:

It's been done before...the Flying Bedsterad
Otherwise known as the Rolls-Royce Thrust-Measuring Rig (TMR), an experimental aircraft that was first flown on Aug. 2, 1954

I've asked Santa for Jetman wings. :smile:

Garth
 
  • #30
Truly amazing. I definitely want some. So, now that we've seen it and know something of how it works, who's for pooling talent and building us some? Maybe we can convince Businessman to lend us a corner of his haunted factory, and Fred can cobble up some engines, and there are more than enough aeronautical engineers kicking around here... :biggrin:

I can foresee an interesting twist on the 'mile-high club' in the near future.
 

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