Wings, but no chute

[flashbandit 0]

I've been fascinated by skydiving for a long time, but sadly I've never been, I can't afford it :( I was just thinking though, If youre falling at 70 mph, and a wing suit can drop that down to 25, couldn't you make a modified wingsuit that'd allow you to slow down enough to land safely without a parachute? At least slow you down enough to land in water? Could you survive a fall into water without even a wing suit?

You could make semi-rigid attatchments for the arms and legs to extend the wings and tail to slow you down even more. I just think that'd be the sweetest thing ever! Positive feedback would be great!

[jjiimmyyt 0]

Cool, you build it and I'll land it under your bridge

"This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave

[Morrison79 0]

Sorry but no postive feedback.
You fall a little faster than 70. More around 120 on your belly.
I could be wrong but I don't think you can slow down to 25 with a wingsuit.
And if you tried to jump into water without a parachute it would be your last jump.

[rave4funn 0]

Funny, last night I had a dream that I flew a wingsuit for the first time and landed it. Coincidence? I think so.

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http://www.myspace.com/rave4funn

[dragon2 0]

The DOWNWARD speed of a wingsuit can get "fairly" low (still gonna hurt) but the FORWARD speed needed to achieve this (speed = lift) is very very HIGH.

Ergo, be my guest

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[flashbandit 0]

What if you made it so that instead of needing to track to slow your descent, you could just fall normal and still be slowed down? I'm thinking that if you connected a sheet between your wrists and ankles (like a flying squirrel), you could slow down quite a bit. Then if you left the wings, and maybe built a tail or had large "fins" you'd have greater control and a slower fall. obviously at some point, if it were large enough it'd work, but the question is, would it be too cumbersome or difficult to control? I don't have much experience or knowledge at all about this, so please lay into the idea if its bad :)

[JoeG 0]

I think this video really shows the impracticality of a no pull wingsuit landing. Notice the angle and rate of descent just prior to pull and landing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21mgVmP7WCo

_________________________________________
"Knowledge is Power!"

[bigway 4]

How do you know about 'tracking'?

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[dragon2 0]

Stunts like that have gotten dozens of wingsuiters killed in the last century. Very big wings that are rigid will break your arms in freefall, and very large wings that are not rigid will not slow you down enough.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[billvon 2,426]

>you could just fall normal and still be slowed down?

Nope. Wingsuits use lift, not drag, to get those slow speeds, and you have to be moving to get to those speeds.. Trying to do it without forward speed would be like trying to land a Cessna 182 by stalling it and having it fall straight down.

> if it were large enough it'd work,

Well, that's true. Experience has shown that you need a solid circle of about 22-24' in diameter to slow down enough to land safely (with a good PLF.) But you'd have to be standing to do a good PLF, so you'd need it above your head. And now we're back to a parachute.

[Ether 0]

Quote

...couldn't you make a modified wingsuit that'd allow you to slow down enough to land safely without a parachute? At least slow you down enough to land in water? Could you survive a fall into water without even a wing suit?

Just how many accounts are we going to let Jeb Corliss make on this site?

Looking for newbie rig, all components...

[waltappel 1]

Quote

I think this video really shows the impracticality of a no pull wingsuit landing. Notice the angle and rate of descent just prior to pull and landing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21mgVmP7WCo

Or this

Walt