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.

  • #31
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 seems like a better next goal would be a base-jump takeoff. That's what they'll use in the next James Bond movie, I'd bet. Seems like they'll need a small APU to spin up the turbines before jumping, though. Does anybody know if those neat little engines have the capability to spin up under external power?
 
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  • #32
Yes, those are model airplane engines. You can't spin one of those things up to 100,000 RPM without a starter.



Ahhhyieeeeeeeeeeee! :smile:

This guy is going to be a millionaire now selling his invention to the US government. Hes a lucky guy, fighter pilot, 747 captain, etc. This guy must have an ass-load of cash from being a 747 pilot, they get paid top dollar. Lucky...
 
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  • #33
It would seem that VTOL would be the best method of taking off and landing... but then you're back to the problem of a conventional jet pack, where the amount of thrust required is too large to be achieved using conventional methods... or perhaps vertical takeoff and parachute landing...
 
  • #34
berkeman said:
It seems like a better next goal would be a base-jump takeoff.

Yea. Could be disastrous though since you are being accelerated quite fast, the ground would come up pretty quick if you accidentally fell the wrong way and started spinning or something. I wonder if these things will be improved to that point. Would take a lot of guts to do that, haha.

I still want to buy myself a personal lightweight helicopter a few years down the road. lol http://www.ama.lv/air/img/xe-4.jpg :!)
 
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  • #36


"It required several meetings with the Swiss government before Yves managed to prove that he was not an 'unidentified flying object in Swiss airspace'.

{giggles}
 
  • #38
Yves Rossy flies over Channel on jet wing

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_on_hi_te/eu_britain_rocket_man
DOVER, England - A Swiss daredevil crossed the English Channel strapped to a homemade jet-propelled wing Friday, parachuting into a field near the white cliffs of Dover after a 10-minute solo flight.

Yves Rossy leapt from a plane at more than 8,800 feet (2,500 meters), fired up his jets and made the 22-mile (35-kilometer ) trip from Calais in France. Rossy passed over a thin strip of land in front of South Foreland lighthouse, looped over onlookers and opened his parachute, his wings still strapped to his back.

"It was perfect. Blue sky, sunny, no clouds, perfect conditions," he said. "We prepared everything and it was great."


Well he did it! I wouldn't mind taking something similar to work.
 
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  • #39


Somebody did the same thing a couple of years ago without the jets.
He had a suit with a sail between his arms and legs (like a flying squirrel), was dropped from a plane over france and glided to England.
 
  • #40


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_on_hi_te/eu_britain_rocket_man

This is proof that more money equals more fun it's probably commonplace with the Swedish , even if it seems that the guy was really French.

Wow , bet he's having a blast , one ride of that would take away all of the day's stress , especially if it were in the Swedish mountains.

If I had my own company in the Swedish Alps I would beckon the world to

Ride the Jetpack - or whatever else it's called - , there is nothing else like it.

Yeah ... that would be my slogan.
 
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  • #41


mgb_phys said:
Somebody did the same thing a couple of years ago without the jets.
He had a suit with a sail between his arms and legs (like a flying squirrel), was dropped from a plane over france and glided to England.

Actually, those aren't for full-on flying. Those are for controlled steering when you skydive. You still need a parachute.
 
  • #42


Math Jeans said:
Actually, those aren't for full-on flying. Those are for controlled steering when you skydive. You still need a parachute.

Yes, but he still managed to glide 25miles in one across the channel. I think rocket man still needs a parachute to land,
 
  • #43


Powered flight and rate of descent are the distinctions.
 
  • #44


mgb_phys said:
Yes, but he still managed to glide 25miles in one across the channel. I think rocket man still needs a parachute to land,

The point is that there is not flight involved, you are simply allowing yourself to glide further than you would with only your body.
 
  • #45


Now he needs to develop a method of midflight refueling and make a transoceanic flight.
 
  • #46


This guy is being dropped from a plane, at the height he is being dropped he doesn't need the rockets to do anything he could glide just on the wing.
 
  • #47


mgb_phys said:
This guy is being dropped from a plane, at the height he is being dropped he doesn't need the rockets to do anything he could glide just on the wing.

Except for the fact that he has a large amount of horizontal velocity and no landing gear except for his legs.
 
  • #48


mgb_phys said:
This guy is being dropped from a plane, at the height he is being dropped he doesn't need the rockets to do anything he could glide just on the wing.

Please provide the calculation. :rolleyes: He wouldn't get enough lift from that wing to glide 22 miles. And of course this way he goes much faster. The flight only lasted 10 minutes.
 
  • #51


mgb_phys said:
But sadly jets beat simple pedal power, the peddle your airship across the channel attempt failed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/7640310.stm

Actually, it has already been done with pedal power.

The Gossamer Albatross was a human-powered aircraft built by American aeronautical engineer Dr. Paul B. MacCready's AeroVironment. On June 12, 1979 it completed a successful crossing of the English Channel to win the second Kremer prize.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross

But the guy in the BBC article was trying to pedal power a blimp.
 
  • #52


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0E6Yh_mSx8
 
  • #53


Very cool!
 
  • #54


Hey that first loop was yesterday! A clear demonstration that he can actually climb.

I heard he also tried to cross the straight of Gibraltar, but the weather wasn't good and he had to ditch. He had hired helicopters ready to rescue him for this eventuality.
 
  • #55


Dr Lots-o'watts said:
Hey that first loop was yesterday!

Of course! We don't mess around here. :biggrin:
 
  • #56


He does a roll now too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgdIE2t8QkM?
 
  • #57


Oh crap, that has the thrills of motorcycle acceleration beat, I wonder how long it took him to actually conceive and then execute the first loop, what a rush.

Rhody...
 
  • #58


Ivan Seeking said:
He does a roll now too.
I'd be satisfied to fly along the Grand Canyon or Alps. The next step is to put fuel tanks in the wings for longer flight. :approve: :biggrin:
 
  • #59


Wonder what kind of pull it took to obtain overflight permission?
 
  • #60


Jetman vs jets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7LyFtOj1k0
 

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