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Not this guy! Prepare for Liftoff!

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There is no subtle way to say this: Brian Walker plans to shoot himself nearly 20 miles into the air aboard a homemade rocket launched from what could be the world’s largest crossbow. (Seriously.)

This isn’t Walker’s first outlandish invention. He’s responsible for the “light chaser” whirly toy, a 300-gallon water-balloon launcher (for putting out forest fires – still in prototype), and Taser gloves (featured in “Garage Geniuses Go Prime Time,” issue 14.03). But Project RUSH – for “rapid up superhigh” – is hands down his most preposterously dangerous effort. “I missed out on the opportunity to be the first private citizen to fly to the edge of space in a private rocket, so I decided to do something even more fun,” Walker says.

Walker’s idea of fun? Stretch a carbon-fiber bowstring 24 feet along a rail, fire up a jet turbine with 1,350 pounds of thrust, hit a trigger, and pull 10 gs as his craft, modeled on spaceships from Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, shoots to the stratosphere. He’ll plummet back to Earth using hydrogen peroxide rockets (the propulsion system used in 1950s jet packs) to slow his descent. Don’t worry about Walker – he’ll be wearing a $15,000 surplus Russian space suit for protection. “I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

Walker hopes to launch this fall, unless the FAA says no. But first he’ll test the rig with a giant fiberglass arrow, just to, you know, make sure it’s safe.





"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”




OH HELL NO!

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”




OH HELL NO!



not enough emphasis...

OH HELL NO!!!!!

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

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C'mon you all know you wanna try it :D just think of the jump tickets you'll save. :ph34r:



"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

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OH HELL NO!

Interesting. My first reaction was "cool!":D
Of course, I'd reserve the right not to actually do it :P

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”




OH HELL NO!


There was a video posted not long ago of someone being shot into the air on a slingshot with a BASE rig on. I searched, but I think it is in the period of time that the posts aren't indexed for searching right now. Maybe someone can find it...

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

Quote

OH HELL NO!

Interesting. My first reaction was "cool!":D
Of course, I'd reserve the right not to actually do it :P

Wendy W.



yeah, it'll be cool to WATCH... I wonder if the guy has contacted BRS to outfit the thing w/ a life-saving parachute should it falter.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

Quote

OH HELL NO!

Interesting. My first reaction was "cool!":D
Of course, I'd reserve the right not to actually do it :P

Wendy W.



yeah, it'll be cool to WATCH... I wonder if the guy has contacted BRS to outfit the thing w/ a life-saving parachute should it falter.



I doubt he has... I doubt he has even really thought the whole thing thru all the way.

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

Quote

OH HELL NO!

Interesting. My first reaction was "cool!":D
Of course, I'd reserve the right not to actually do it :P

Wendy W.



yeah, it'll be cool to WATCH... I wonder if the guy has contacted BRS to outfit the thing w/ a life-saving parachute should it falter.



I doubt he has... I doubt he has even really thought the whole thing thru all the way.



kinda like those redneck famous last words... "hey y'all, watch this..."

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

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“I can see a scenario where giant crossbows would accelerate skydivers upward,” he says, “creating a new kind of skydiving.”

Quote

OH HELL NO!

Interesting. My first reaction was "cool!":D
Of course, I'd reserve the right not to actually do it :P

Wendy W.



yeah, it'll be cool to WATCH... I wonder if the guy has contacted BRS to outfit the thing w/ a life-saving parachute should it falter.



I doubt he has... I doubt he has even really thought the whole thing thru all the way.



kinda like those redneck famous last words... "hey y'all, watch this..."



Or his friends last words ... "Man he just didn't do it right."
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I think being fired up into the air by giant crossbow (with my rig on) would be awesome!!!


Physics isn't really your strong point is it:D:D:D
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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Perhaps someone needs to go about doing a trebuchet launch. I think if it was designed for more vertical than horizontal propulsion, it could be reasonable.

Now that I think of it.... has anyone been launched by a trebuchet?
----------------------------------------
6.8% - Almost there!

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Perhaps someone needs to go about doing a trebuchet launch. I think if it was designed for more vertical than horizontal propulsion, it could be reasonable.

Now that I think of it.... has anyone been launched by a trebuchet?


Yup a couple of years ago it was a bit of a sport, until a few people were POUNDED into the ground B|B| Dickheads:D:D I LOVE DARWIN[/RED]
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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