Is Human Flight Possible?

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The discussion centers on the possibility of human flight, specifically in the style of Superman, rather than traditional methods like flapping wings. Participants express a mix of skepticism and creativity, with some suggesting that while human flight as depicted in comics is unlikely due to biological limitations, advancements in technology could allow for a form of flight through jetpacks or other devices. The conversation touches on the idea of altering human capabilities through technology or genetic modifications, as well as the theoretical potential of superconductors to enable levitation. However, many emphasize the need for mechanical assistance for any form of flight, dismissing the notion of natural human flight as unrealistic. The thread also includes humorous exchanges and references to pop culture, highlighting the imaginative nature of the topic while grounding it in scientific principles. Ultimately, the consensus leans towards the impracticality of achieving flight like Superman without significant technological intervention.
jeremylorino
Is human flight possible? I'm not talking about flapping your wings. I'm talking about flying like Superman. I think it's possible. Does anyone have an explanation? I fly all the time in my dreams and I feel like I could fly in real life. Please be serious about this post because I am.
 
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No. But I'll let some other members respond before I lock this.
 
The only mechanism of propulsion would be super-flatulence. Do you really want a fart of Kryptonian proportions let loose on our planet?
 
jeremylorino said:
Is human flight possible? I'm not talking about flapping your wings. I'm talking about flying like Superman. I think it's possible. Does anyone have an explanation? I fly all the time in my dreams and I feel like I could fly in real life. Please be serious about this post because I am.

Watch this!


Superman is supposed to fly based on powers that we don't understand. So the answer is, first, yes, we can fly like jetman, as linked above, and we could fly like superman if we discovered some means of flight that we don't currently recognize, but that allows flight like superman, but in the end it would just be another version of jetman - it would be based on some sort of technology. Beyond that we are into questions like, can God make you fly, and we can't go there; nor do we want to. :biggrin:
 
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jeremylorino said:
Is human flight possible? I'm not talking about flapping your wings. I'm talking about flying like Superman. I think it's possible. Does anyone have an explanation? I fly all the time in my dreams and I feel like I could fly in real life. Please be serious about this post because I am.

I suggest you don't test your hypothesis that you can fly in real life. It could turn out bad.

What you "feel" doesn't necessarily correspond to the truth. For example, I felt like I could sing, but I have been told otherwise.:rolleyes:

(Evo, you must be having a boring Friday night to let this thread keep brewing.:biggrin:)
 
You can take flying lessons...

 
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G01 said:
I suggest you don't test your hypothesis that you can fly in real life. It could turn out bad.

What you "feel" doesn't necessarily correspond to the truth. For example, I felt like I could sing, but I have been told otherwise.:rolleyes:

(Evo, you must be having a boring Friday night to let this thread keep brewing.:biggrin:)
Well, I was thinking that someone would explain from a practical standpoint that the human body is not aerodynamic and would pretty much defy known laws for a human to just lift off the ground and fly, especially without moving anybody parts (like superman). Even a bird won't fly if it doesn't move.
 
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jeremylorino said:
Is human flight possible? I'm not talking about flapping your wings. I'm talking about flying like Superman. I think it's possible. Does anyone have an explanation? I fly all the time in my dreams and I feel like I could fly in real life. Please be serious about this post because I am.

Yep, it is possible.

Birds couldn't fly millions of years ago?
 
Taking the OP's question seriously, I suppose a human could fly like superman while on another body in the solar system. A small moon such as Phobos for instance. The gravity is low enough that if you were to start out by walking then slowly increased your pace, you could eventually jump high enough to put yourself into temporary orbit around Phobos. If you jumped hard enough, you could possibly surpass escape velocity completely.
 
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  • #10
Some people will try anything;

 
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  • #11
B. Elliott said:
Taking the OP's question seriously, I suppose a human could fly like superman while on another body in the solar system. A small moon such as Phobos for instance. The gravity is low enough that if you were to start out by walking then slowly increased your pace, you could eventually jump high enough to put yourself into temporary orbit around Phobos. If you jumped hard enough, you could possibly surpass escape velocity completely.
Yes, once we get pass the issues of atmosphere and temperature. :-p For that matter just stick him in outer space and give him a push to get him moving.
 
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  • #12
You can fly in a tornado. :biggrin:
 
  • #13
Just remember that originally, Superman could not fly as we see him do now, but only "leap tall buildings in a single bound."

But what I would like to know is if anyone has any idea how he shaves?
 
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  • #14
OAQfirst said:
Just remember that originally, Superman could not fly as we see him do now, but only "leap tall buildings in a single bound."

But what I would like to know is if anyone has any idea how he shaves?
Heat vision and a mirror?
 
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  • #15
DaveC426913 said:
Heat vision and a mirror?
If he can cut/singe his own hair with that, makes me wonder how his eyelids fare during excitable dreams/nightmares...
 
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  • #16
OAQfirst said:
But what I would like to know is if anyone has any idea how he shaves?

One issue of the comic that I have does indeed use that very approach that Dave suggested, with the mirror. In another, earlier, issue, it was stated that his hair and nails don't grow under a yellow sun.
 
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  • #17
G01 said:
I suggest you don't test your hypothesis that you can fly in real life. It could turn out bad.

What you "feel" doesn't necessarily correspond to the truth. For example, I felt like I could sing, but I have been told otherwise.:rolleyes:

(Evo, you must be having a boring Friday night to let this thread keep brewing.:biggrin:)

And don't drop acid.
 
  • #18
TheStatutoryApe said:
And don't drop acid.

First thing that popped into my head.
 
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  • #19
My guess is somewhere between 250mph and 500mph would be fast enough that even a human body would make a descent wing, although some support may be required. It may have already been experience by a pilot ejecting from an aircraft during the short period of time between leaving the ejection seat and deploying the chute.
 
  • #20
Jeff Reid said:
a human body would make a descent wing

It would indeed make a descent wing, but not a decent one. :biggrin:
 
  • #21
It's not flying exactly but probably as close as you're going to get without a jet pack or some sort of antigrav device...
 
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  • #22
I believe the Wright Brothers heard the same thing from everyone when they proposed there flying device ... It will be ... I am actually putting together and will test some ideas to make this possible... I am currently in the design phase of creating a superman suite ... With all of Supermans powers ... the current problem we have is that a human can only run at 26 miles per hour before there knee pop out of socket/ and or break ... the flying idea will be done as seen in the iron man movie ... through jet thrust ... more of a suite than actually like superman but ... close ... the suite will be powered by thousands of solar cells ... solar cells are used in very expensive watches to make them last for a thousand years ... and of course using the suns energy to give the whole suite power ... As Superman receives his powers from the sun ...we will too ... Any comments or Ideas let me know ... Man has thrived on making the impossible, possible . Jesus walked on water ... Man can create a suite as a will ...
 
  • #23
Evo said:
Well, I was thinking that someone would explain from a practical standpoint that the human body is not aerodynamic and would pretty much defy known laws for a human to just lift off the ground and fly, especially without moving anybody parts (like superman). Even a bird won't fly if it doesn't move.

To be clear, according to original canon, superman's ability was not to "fly" but jump extraordinarily high.
 
  • #24
tavernarijare said:
I believe the Wright Brothers heard the same thing from everyone when they proposed there flying device ... It will be ... I am actually putting together and will test some ideas to make this possible... I am currently in the design phase of creating a superman suite ... With all of Supermans powers ... the current problem we have is that a human can only run at 26 miles per hour before there knee pop out of socket/ and or break ... the flying idea will be done as seen in the iron man movie ... through jet thrust ... more of a suite than actually like superman but ... close ... the suite will be powered by thousands of solar cells ... solar cells are used in very expensive watches to make them last for a thousand years ... and of course using the suns energy to give the whole suite power ... As Superman receives his powers from the sun ...we will too ... Any comments or Ideas let me know ... Man has thrived on making the impossible, possible . Jesus walked on water ... Man can create a suite as a will ...

I believe you are wrong ...
 
  • #25
http://www.bird-man.com/video/Rocket_Bird_iNet.wmv a more advanced idea of this video ...
 
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  • #26
what am i wrong about ... Jesus not walking on water ?
 
  • #27
tavernarijare said:
what am i wrong about ... Jesus not walking on water ?

That would be the one. I can't walk on water either, but I've been known to run on alcohol for extended periods.
Actually, anybody who can walk at all can walk on water. Just wait for winter.
 
  • #28
If you never wake up you can fly all you want. If you can find some way of putting your hands under your feet and lifting yourself up, that would work too. But first make sure to videorecord it with an explanation of what you are doing and post it on youtube.

Superman is lame. He'd be much cooler if he couldn't shave at all and had to fly around looking like Grizzly Adams in tights.
 
  • #29

Since that link doesn't work any more.
 
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  • #30
Huckleberry said:
If you never wake up you can fly all you want. If you can find some way of putting your hands under your feet and lifting yourself up, that would work too. But first make sure to videorecord it with an explanation of what you are doing and post it on youtube.

Superman is lame. He'd be much cooler if he couldn't shave at all and had to fly around looking like Grizzly Adams in tights.

If superman was lame he would act something like you ... Superman is bad *** ... also the thrusters are a work in progress ... goin to run bendable copper pipes to remove any heat ... work as a computer heatsink does ...
 
  • #31
you guys need to quit disrespecting too ... for you know know not what you say ... read a history book
 
  • #32
tavernarijare said:
you guys need to quit disrespecting too ... for you know know not what you say ... read a history book

I don't know why. But this post cracked me up.

@OP, I don't think superman FLIED but he could JUMP really far. As it's been pointed out we could do this as well if we traveled somewhere with significantly less gravity.
 
  • #33
Sorry! said:
I don't know why. But this post cracked me up.

@OP, I don't think superman FLIED but he could JUMP really far. As it's been pointed out we could do this as well if we traveled somewhere with significantly less gravity.

Superman flies. How can you change direction in a jump?
 
  • #34
leroyjenkens said:
Superman flies. How can you change direction in a jump?

So when a glider launches themselves off of a cliff they just glide back to Earth in a straight line and have no control?

(Superman wore a cape)
 
  • #35
Sorry! said:
So when a glider launches themselves off of a cliff they just glide back to Earth in a straight line and have no control?

(Superman wore a cape)

The cape just fluttered there, it's not like it's a wing he has control over.
If you're going to include apparatus, you could just use a jetpack. Or you could jump onto an airplane as it's taking off and include all the maneuvering the airplane is doing as part of your jump.
Besides, you can obviously tell Superman flies when he lightly lifts off of the ground and flies slowly up into the sky. He's done that several times in the movies.
None of you actually believe all that flying he does is just a jump, do you?
 
  • #36
I think Sorry! is pulling your leg.

In the original Superman comics he merely leaped tall buildings in a single bound.
Some time in his history the writers decided he could fly.

That's pretty much it.
 
  • #37
rootX said:
Yep, it is possible.

Birds couldn't fly millions of years ago?

Some still cant, like the turkey, whose body mass is to great for its small wings to overcome gravity. It would seem to me humans might fall under that category.
 
  • #38
its ironic that so many people think that this idea is impossible ... i can make you fly in after effects ... why can it not be done in real life ... really i think the technology is already out there ... its all about control and the government trying to keep it ... if you seriously think that they don't already have some sort of solo flying device , your pretty nieve
 
  • #39
tavernarijare said:
what am i wrong about ... Jesus not walking on water ?

He used to. Not any longer. Not after those holes in the foot.
 
  • #40
tavernarijare said:
its ironic that so many people think that this idea is impossible ... i can make you fly in after effects ... why can it not be done in real life ... really i think the technology is already out there ... its all about control and the government trying to keep it ... if you seriously think that they don't already have some sort of solo flying device , your pretty nieve
Oh man. Thanks. I needed a good laugh today. If it weren't so long, I'd put that one as my new sig.
 
  • #41
FredGarvin said:
Oh man. Thanks. I needed a good laugh today. If it weren't so long, I'd put that one as my new sig.
Ooh. Good one! Immortalize it in a sig. I was just going to label him a troll. (Or maybe a "trole" - to pay homage to his spectacular spelling/grammar.)
 
  • #42
leroyjenkens said:
The cape just fluttered there, it's not like it's a wing he has control over.
If you're going to include apparatus, you could just use a jetpack. Or you could jump onto an airplane as it's taking off and include all the maneuvering the airplane is doing as part of your jump.
Besides, you can obviously tell Superman flies when he lightly lifts off of the ground and flies slowly up into the sky. He's done that several times in the movies.
None of you actually believe all that flying he does is just a jump, do you?

lol ;)

Ah man this thread was great. We need more guys like tavernarijare around here making posts.
 
  • #43
OK, enough ribbing.

tavernarijare, you're young.

There is nothing wrong with attempting to build your suit and frankly, we shouldn't be discouraging you. You'll learn a lot along the way. You'll learn a lot of skills, you'll learn what does work and what doesn't, and (I predict) you'll learn that it's ultimately impractical. Don't misunderstand - critics shouldn't stop you.

But you would do well to take advice. And you would do well to stop making claims about history and about government conspiracies. It is extremely hard to take you seriously while your loopiness is hanging out.


Also. Spelling. Unless you're really planning on making a flying bedroom/living-room combination, you might want to look up the spelling of that thing that Superman wears...
 
  • #44
A jet-pack could do the job if only for a few minutes. In the future, there might be jet-packs that can last longer.
 
  • #45
Quincy said:
A jet-pack could do the job if only for a few minutes. In the future, there might be jet-packs that can last longer.
My company designed, built and flew a jet pack that lasted much longer than the HO jet packs. The Army eventually canned it even though it flew very well. It was even shown on an episode of a show on the National Geographic channel.
 
  • #46
FredGarvin said:
My company designed, built and flew a jet pack that lasted much longer than the HO jet packs. The Army eventually canned it even though it flew very well. It was even shown on an episode of a show on the National Geographic channel.

I don't know how many of you guys have ever played Red Alert 2... But I remember those Rocketeers, damn they were annoying. You get like a swarm of 50 of them and you can take out the entire other teams base. (They were basically just flying soldiers with jet packs and used like a machine gun sort of weapon)
 
  • #47
Sorry! said:
I don't know how many of you guys have ever played Red Alert 2... But I remember those Rocketeers, damn they were annoying. You get like a swarm of 50 of them and you can take out the entire other teams base. (They were basically just flying soldiers with jet packs and used like a machine gun sort of weapon)
Again with the leg-pulling.
 
  • #48
DaveC426913 said:
Again with the leg-pulling.

Oh I wasn't leg pulling this time lol.

Just conversation this is in the general discussion.
 
  • #49
tavernarijare said:
I believe the Wright Brothers heard the same thing from everyone when they proposed there flying device ... It will be ... I am actually putting together and will test some ideas to make this possible... I am currently in the design phase of creating a superman suite ... With all of Supermans powers ... the current problem we have is that a human can only run at 26 miles per hour before there knee pop out of socket/ and or break ... the flying idea will be done as seen in the iron man movie ... through jet thrust ... more of a suite than actually like superman but ... close ... the suite will be powered by thousands of solar cells ... solar cells are used in very expensive watches to make them last for a thousand years ... and of course using the suns energy to give the whole suite power ... As Superman receives his powers from the sun ...we will too ... Any comments or Ideas let me know ... Man has thrived on making the impossible, possible . Jesus walked on water ... Man can create a suite as a will ...

I can't see how this person is serious. It must be a troll.
 
  • #50
Sorry! said:
Oh I wasn't leg pulling this time lol.

Just conversation this is in the general discussion.

I know what you're talking about. I never played the game much but I always thought those little guys with the jet packs were pretty cool.
 

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