http://www.humanbirdwings.net/about/flying-like-a-bird/
I don’t believe the human shoulder and chest muscles are capable of producing any more than a small fraction of the force required to power such a machine.
I call shennanigans.
looks like he’s pulling something that’s actually moving the wings. As if his power is somehow amplified. One of the comments mentions some motors in the wings…
simply incredible, if true.. and exciting…
Can’t keep the power up to it, though. Short flight, knackered when he landed.
It says “semi human-powered” so presumably there’s powered assistance going on. Still looked good :)
It says “semi human-powered” so presumably there’s powered assistance going on. Still looked good :)
Also, because of biomechanical efficiencies and joint safety reasons, maximum force production is never achieved with the elbow fully extended, as in the video. The elbow is too fragile, the lever length is too long, the range of movement is very small, the angle of movement would not include some of the larger assister muscles…
And how does he pull his legs up at 38 sec?
And why doesn’t his body move more (vertically, relative to the wing tips) when he’s flapping at maximum effort?
Geoff D said:
Can’t keep the power up to it, though. Short flight, knackered when he landed.
This is why we invented aeroplanes :)
How much easier would it be if humans had a wishbone?
It’s fake you numpties!
you are so like finding out there is no Santa…
Arts said:
you are so like finding out there is no Santa…
Yes, damn the fat man in the red suit.
I never got my hovercraft when I was a kid, never trusted the bugger ….
have you played with your new flying machine yet?
Spiny Norman said:
It’s fake you numpties!
Even so, I have some nice big parks nearby that would be cool to cruise around in some kind of strap-on powered ornithopter like that. Scare the shite out of picknickers.
I knew it was fake, that’s why I replied in big funny blue writing.
Bubbles,
“semi human-powered” means that the person is semi human, not that it’s fake!
I must admit I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but was suspicious of the fact that we got little or no footage of him from the ground, flapping away at the height the camera was indicating.
Bubbles, just to the left of the pilot, early on in the takeoff run, there appears to be a towline, I dont think he gained (or maintained) height by flapping.
bob(from black rock) said:
Bubbles, just to the left of the pilot, early on in the takeoff run, there appears to be a towline, I dont think he gained (or maintained) height by flapping.
wait, where? and there is footage of him flapping in the air from the side.. I get they may have ‘faked it’ but I’d still give it a go…
Don’t think faking it has ever looked like so much fun…
>>I get they may have ‘faked it’ but I’d still give it a go…
Don’t think faking it has ever looked like so much fun…
Arts agreed, I think that it may have gained height by kite type launch, then the wing flapping did very little, but made it look realistic, bit dangerous but.
I want to be clear on what the ‘fake’ part is..
is it fake because it’s not “semi-human powered” or fake because the contraption didn’t actually get off the ground (even though it looks like it did) ?
I’ve seen enough ‘birdman run the Jetty’ type event to know that a human can’t even throw themselves off a jetty and fly (why don’t we see those anymore? and the beer can regattas, the milk carton ones… nothing.. there’s no fun left in the real world
Arts said:
I’ve seen enough ‘birdman run the Jetty’ type event to know that a human can’t even throw themselves off a jetty and fly (why don’t we see those anymore? and the beer can regattas, the milk carton ones… nothing.. there’s no fun left in the real world
There is still a birdman’s rally at Melbourne’s Moomba Festival.
Arts the “Bird man Rally” has been re-instated for Melbourne Moomba celebrations, always good for a giggle, and I am hoping that one day someone will fly across the Yarra river!!
Birdman Rally got canned in Canberra for being dangerous.
Gee, who woulda thought that strapping yourself to a homemade flying contraption and falling out of the sky to flounder into some water while still attached to it might have risks? I bet no one ever thought of that when they enter, I mean as if you’d expect to fall into water with a heavy thing attached at a Birdman Rally…
>>Gee, who woulda thought that strapping yourself to a homemade flying contraption and falling out of the sky to flounder into some water while still attached to it might have risks?
The risk is minimal if you are p*ssed enough, ie BAC > 0.300 should do the trick:-)
bob(from black rock) said:
Arts the “Bird man Rally” has been re-instated for Melbourne Moomba celebrations, always good for a giggle, and I am hoping that one day someone will fly across the Yarra river!!
good to hear!