kevin922 0 #1 January 6, 2003 What do you guys think about flying birdman in a wind tunnel - can you stand to improve on anything? I talked with the guys at skyventure when I was down there and they said they had one person do the tunnel with a birdman suit .. they basically had to hold his ankles the whole time and when he didn't have a good arch he went flying up against the side of the tunnel.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #2 January 6, 2003 I cannot think of a single thing you would gain by flying your suit in that or any other tunnel. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #3 January 6, 2003 Yeah I was trying to figure what would be the point other than saying you did it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #4 January 7, 2003 I can just see the "next generation" wind tunnel: Adjustable fans on swivels rotate to allow airflow in any direction. Wingsuit flyers can adjust airflow so that they get relatively lowspeed updrafts and highspeed headwinds. Computers adjust the airflow on the fly so that flocks can swoop around each other and make virtual turns. Holographic images are projected into the tunnel so that you can swoop tandems, balloons, cliffs and skyscrapers. And best of all, at the end of the flight, the fans taper off to give you a nice soft wingsuit landing (to practice for the real thing). Give it ten years...-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leroydb 0 #5 January 7, 2003 naw 30-50yrsLeroy ..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #6 January 7, 2003 QuoteI can just see the "next generation" wind tunnel: Adjustable fans on swivels rotate to allow airflow in any direction. Wingsuit flyers can adjust airflow so that they get relatively lowspeed updrafts and highspeed headwinds. Computers adjust the airflow on the fly so that flocks can swoop around each other and make virtual turns. Holographic images are projected into the tunnel so that you can swoop tandems, balloons, cliffs and skyscrapers. And best of all, at the end of the flight, the fans taper off to give you a nice soft wingsuit landing (to practice for the real thing). Give it ten years... And then you start crapping hot golden woman. Uh... Actually, I've dreamed of a similar thing (the tunnel, not the golden crap women). I got my VS-1 t-shirt, and it says "Skyflier" on it, which really got me thinking..."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ernokaikkonen 0 #7 January 7, 2003 Hell, the technology is already here. Except the holographic thingies, but you'll do just as well with projected imagery. All we need now is financing... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #8 January 7, 2003 OK, just for you fellow "Junkyard Wars" fans, I have come up with an economical "wind tunnel" variant that would likely work. It would also certainly get you on your local news: First, go to your local heating and airconditioning supply and rifle through their scrap heap. Get yourself a few heavy-duty industrial air movers (blowers) and some ducting. Next, go back home and affix these fans to a solid (yet portable) object, like a 4' by 8' piece of plywood. Adjust the outlets up at a 45 degree angle and then create some ducting shrouds to focus the airflow a bit. About ten feet back from this apparatus, place some old mattresses on the ground, directly inline with the fans. This, of course, is your "landing pad". Next, create some simple harness to join yourself (no need for you to wear your rig) to a tow line. Rig some sort of winch (also attached to your plywood base, in the center of the fans) with about 25 feet of cable or rope (cheaper) that will allow you to feed out and retract line in order to get you into the best, most forceful airflow (over the mattress of course). Finally, rig into your suit (minus your rig, as that is only extra weight in this application). attach into the tow line, face the fans, then have your buddy fire that mother up! Should you be successful in your effort, feel free to put the working mechanisms in the back of a pickup truck and power your fans with a Honda generator as you fly tethered to your line while your buddy drives the truck through town, toasting the gawking locals with his cold beer! THAT, my friends, is redneck ingenuity. Chuck Blue Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #9 January 11, 2003 Chuck did someone slip you some bad hooch? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
encinoadam 0 #10 January 11, 2003 Some of the posts in here.... are just plain stupid. No wonder many people refer to the people here as "a bunch of 50 jump chumps." That's pretty much what we are. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #11 January 11, 2003 Quote Some of the posts in here.... are just plain stupid. No wonder many people refer to the people here as "a bunch of 50 jump chumps." That's pretty much what we are. So where do all these 1000 jump chumps hang out at? I'd like to read some of their insightful posts. I know your not talking about rec. since that place is like a family of schizophrenics trying to have a conversation"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #12 January 12, 2003 Hey, it's all goody in the hoody. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arlo 0 #13 January 13, 2003 Quote What do you guys think about flying birdman in a wind tunnel - can you stand to improve on anything? I talked with the guys at skyventure when I was down there and they said they had one person do the tunnel with a birdman suit .. they basically had to hold his ankles the whole time and when he didn't have a good arch he went flying up against the side of the tunnel.. First I've heard about someone in a wingsuit in the tunnel, but who knows. I'll ask Joe and Omar tonight. Kev, if you think about this is a logical fashion, people that fall (relatively speaking)STRAIGHT down (belly-to-earth, butt-to-earth, feet-to-earth, head-to-earth) get the most outta the tunnel. It would be absolutely silly to try to do anything with a wingsuit, in a 12' diameter tunnel...period. you'd need a wingsuit that did not descend. picture the relative wind on your body in a wingsuit and you've answered your own question. :) DOH! arlo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #14 January 13, 2003 Quote Quote What do you guys think about flying birdman in a wind tunnel - can you stand to improve on anything? I talked with the guys at skyventure when I was down there and they said they had one person do the tunnel with a birdman suit .. they basically had to hold his ankles the whole time and when he didn't have a good arch he went flying up against the side of the tunnel.. First I've heard about someone in a wingsuit in the tunnel, but who knows. I'll ask Joe and Omar tonight. Kev, if you think about this is a logical fashion, people that fall (relatively speaking)STRAIGHT down (belly-to-earth, butt-to-earth, feet-to-earth, head-to-earth) get the most outta the tunnel. It would be absolutely silly to try to do anything with a wingsuit, in a 12' diameter tunnel...period. you'd need a wingsuit that did not descend. picture the relative wind on your body in a wingsuit and you've answered your own question. :) DOH! arlo Well the only thing I Could think of is practicing correct body position for maximum lift.. but i don't even think you can practice that in the tunnel.. I would be interested to see if you can get the suit to float with the fans turned down -- the guy I was talking to who was telling me about this @ Skyventure said they ran the fans at normal speed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arlo 0 #15 January 13, 2003 which guy did you talk to about it? The problem with getting lift from the suits is in fact the suits don't fall straight down normally, so the only way WOULD be to secure the legs. But that is really dangerous because if the legs were cut loose somehow (someone let go, etc), the person's head would create a crater in the opposite wall like right now. you know how much forward drive you get with these suits, so it would be too much of a liability (IMHO) to even put one anywhere near the door of that tunnel. it would break someone's neck. The tunnel is great for alot of skydiving applications. I just don't see it working for this one. :) Maybe at the next hurricane party in FL... i can see it now: rope............$ 10 palm tree: $300 wingsuit.......$700 look on that person's face as they're flying in a hurricane tied to a palm tree: priceless. blues, arlo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #16 January 13, 2003 Quote which guy did you talk to about it? The problem with getting lift from the suits is in fact the suits don't fall straight down normally, so the only way WOULD be to secure the legs. But that is really dangerous because if the legs were cut loose somehow (someone let go, etc), the person's head would create a crater in the opposite wall like right now. you know how much forward drive you get with these suits, so it would be too much of a liability (IMHO) to even put one anywhere near the door of that tunnel. it would break someone's neck. The tunnel is great for alot of skydiving applications. I just don't see it working for this one. :) Maybe at the next hurricane party in FL... i can see it now: rope............$ 10 palm tree: $300 wingsuit.......$700 look on that person's face as they're flying in a hurricane tied to a palm tree: priceless. blues, arlo Hehe.. it was a big black guy, I don't recall his name. Great flyer though. Video is here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sikorsky 0 #17 January 15, 2003 They tied me to a tree in Indiantown in 1980 on a 100' rope. I was backwards in my harness under a Unit, winds were 50. Got straight up, the rope broke. I went through a fence with the back of my head. Guess that what makes me the mang I am today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #18 January 15, 2003 The guy that flew the suit in the wind tunnel was Lee Werling. There is video of it. Lee told me that he also flew the suit with Fabian from deland holding his head and steering him in circles. He had some idea's on Fabian flying head down in the tunnel holding his head and carving around, I dont know if he had the oportunity to do it, but it sounded cool. But you wouldn't be able to get maximum lift in the tunnel as it is generated by forward speed. Speed=lift Im not a physic's major so someone that is can explain better. The suit actually generates lift like a wing and the forward speed generates the lift, so in a tunnel with only vertical air and no where to go you couln't get the optimal lift. Even tying yourself up and flying in the tunnel wouldnt help, you would only gain lift from the extra area, kind of like a camera suit. But it would be fun anyway. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #19 January 15, 2003 Oh yeah, also there is a real cool Patrik video of him in an airplane wind tunnel in a harness, testing his wing suit design. That would be a better way to refine your position, but Im sure it would be expensive. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #20 January 15, 2003 QuoteOh yeah, also there is a real cool Patrik video of him in an airplane wind tunnel in a harness, testing his wing suit design. That would be a better way to refine your position, but Im sure it would be expensive. Wonder where the closest airplane wind tunnel is :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joboulay 0 #21 January 15, 2003 where can we see the videos you are talking about? I jump, I live, I love. Ourson #1 Ordre des Ours Polaires Volants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #22 January 15, 2003 Quotewhere can we see the videos you are talking about? I've seen the pictures.. a long time ago, I know they are out there.. haven't seen the video though. I didn't realize that was what he was doing when I was looking at the pictures :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #23 January 15, 2003 The Patrick video, is a sector sports advertisement video. Im sure you could do a search online and find it. Look for Patrick de gayardon. The Lee Werling video, im sorry to say would be real hard to find. I will ask Fabian and Julianna when I see them if they have a copy. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
homer 0 #24 January 15, 2003 QuoteHolographic images are projected into the tunnel so that you can swoop tandems, balloons, cliffs and skyscrapers. Can you imaging looking out your office window as a BASE jumper in a bird man comes flying by. That would be a cool pic. CSA #699 Muff #3804 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
