Rocketman takes to the skies

[ScottishJohn 25]

I've just spotted this on the Annanova news web site.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2254764.html

Rocketman takes to the skies

A Swiss pilot has turned himself into a 'rocketman' by strapping a pair of wings and two jet engines to his back.

Yves Rossy, 45, a former airforce fighter pilot, gave his carbon wings their first test flight in Spain /Europics

Yves Rossy, 45, a former airforce fighter pilot, gave his carbon wings their first test flight in Spain.

He said: "It is absolutely fantastic. Total freedom in three dimensions, so much speed and power, it was better than being a bird.

A Swiss pilot has turned himself into 'Rocketman' by strapping a pair of wings and two jet engines to his back /Europics

"I have to jump from a moving plane as I can't really take off from an airfield like a real plane, I couldn't run that fast", he said laughing, and added: "I don't have an undercarriage either."

To land he has to cut the engines and coast to the ground, using a conventional parachute at the last minute.

Mr Rossy spent five years developing his three metre carbon fibre wings for his flying man project, then added two kerosene-powered jet engines to his original wing design.

Handles are fixed onto the wings so that Yves can electronically manipulate the wingtips, giving him the freedom to decide when he wanted to either glide or dive.

He said: "After I jumped my wings opened like a bird taking wing, I then glided down to 2500m, and ignited the kerosene engines.

"There was a short period, 30 seconds, while I waited for them to stabilize and then I began to open the throttle.

"I soon realised I was no longer losing height, and achieved horizontal flight for more than four minutes at 100 knots (115mph)."

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If you think my attitude stinks you should smell my fingers

[Peej 0]

Yeah it's been posted a few times before but yeah, it's pretty sweet! In fact one of our own, Mr Piisfish was involved in the feat iirc

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[piisfish 135]

these pics are the latest (from last couple of weeks). It's unfortunate the text contains so many inaccuracies.

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Rocketman

He "used to be" Jet-Man, now Fusion-Man (look at the sponsor on the wing)

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"I don't have an undercarriage either."

but he has massive brass balls, maybe they can't turn fast enough

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then added two kerosene-powered jet engines to his original wing design

that was 3 years ago, now he has 4

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Handles are fixed onto the wings so that Yves can electronically manipulate the wingtips, giving him the freedom to decide when he wanted to either glide or dive

actually the ailerons are inoperative for the moment and all movements are done by weight transfer and body aerodynamics

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To land he has to cut the engines and coast to the ground, using a conventional parachute at the last minute.

opening around 4000-4500ft is not "the last minute", it is a safe altitude which allows to deal with malfunctions with such a particular equipment.

Besides that the new "matt black" color looks great

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[piisfish 135]

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Yeah it's been posted a few times before but yeah, it's pretty sweet! In fact one of our own, Mr Piisfish was involved in the feat iirc

that's the new pictures in which I'm not involved (couldn't take 2 weeks off to go to Empuria)... But I'll be involved in the next ones

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Peej 0]

Ah ok cool, i stand corrected

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[piisfish 135]

May in Geneva normally

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM