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flash

THE EVENT
CROSSING THE CHANNEL THE JETMAN WAY
On 25 September, one man will risk his life to attempt the impossible – to become the first man to cross the English Channel with only a single jet-propelled wing strapped to his back.

Swiss pilot Yves Rossy will be the first person in history to fly across the English Channel using a special wing. Known as FusionMan, Rossy will jump from a plane more than 3,000 metres above ground, fire up the jets on his wing and soar across the English Channel at speeds approaching 190 kilometres per hour. Rossy will trace the route of French aviator Louis Blériot who dared to be the first to cross the English Channel in an airplane 99 years earlier.

Broadcast live on National Geographic Channel, we will document Rossy’s flight from his take-off above Cap Blanc Nez, France, to his landing, approximately 15 minutes later across the English Channel in Dover, UK. Rossy’s flight will also be streamed live online.

To achieve this historic feat, Rossy must overcome significant challenges along the way. He has never flown for longer than 8 minutes, his wing weight and measurements must be incredibly precise – even the addition of cameras mounted on the wing to record his flight may affect how long he is able to stay in the air. So he is constantly fine-tuning the design. Weather patterns can also affect his flight’s success.

A helicopter with a Webcam mount will follow (slightly higher than he flies and off side) Rossy across the Channel to capture the dramatic aerial coverage.

Nawty

A small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind.

This will be the first step to personal flying machines.

maybe.

jandajoy

Didn't we have this before???

flash

or he could go head first into the white cliffs of dover

Travelmate

strapping a jetpack and shooting off to Chaing Mai from Bkk sounds good

DrAndy

when he takes off from the ground, then that would be more interesting

a glider could do what he intends, or a kiteman

Nawty

Like to see that glider at 180kph.

Gerbil

VNE on many gliders is 150kts+ (or 270kph+). Of course you wouldnt do that often as fcuks up your Lift to Drag ratio.

But gliders frequently cross the channel, Main thing is to get enough height before you leave the shore as there are no thermal producing features at sea

(I did a lot of gliding 20 years ago.)

__________________
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Short Men, who aren't terribly bright....
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Nawty

You talking gliders as in encased proper gliders or the gliders as in hang gliders ?

Sir Burr

Didn't two blokes cross the channel by jumping out of a plane and using those "birdman" suits? I remember they went 3 kilometres for every 1 kilometre they dropped.

Thetyim

"On the morning of June 6, 1944, a handful of gliders carrying a handpicked strike force landed behind enemy lines in France and set out to destroy bridges along the Orne River and the Caen Canal. For most of the glider-borne force, the mission proceeded pretty much according to plan. In fact, the assault would go down in the history books as one of Britain’s most notable D-Day successes. But for the troops who came across the English Channel in Glider No. 4, June 6 would turn into a confusing, if ultimately rewarding, episode in their own Normandy experiences. Today the story of those men who rode to battle in Glider No. 4 is largely forgotten."

The rest is here if you want to read it
D-Day: 6th Airborne Division’s Glider Four Encountered An Unexpected Turn of Events » HistoryNet - From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher

melvbot

Wonder if he'll have a crap meal covered with tin foil just after take off?

Hes only flown for 8 mins and plans to double that time. Why not do a 15 min flight before to test etc? Seems a bit lazy planning for saying he doing a worlds first and beaming it live worldwide.

Good luck to him, hope he does it.

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dirtydog

Rinspeed "Splash" crossing English Channel





Top Gear Crossing the channel





Jetman attempts record breaking flight - in Sept on Nat Geo





1923 Motorized Glider crosses English Channel

dirtydog

FLIGHT OF DREAMS (PART 1)


As a young boy, Harold Axelson dreamed of flight. During World War II, Harold was a member of the 74th Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, based at Aldermaston (40-miles west of London), England. Harold flew the large British Horsa assault glider (along with co-pilot John Devlin) in the Normandy D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944.

During Operation Market-Garden, Harold flew the American Waco CG-4A Combat Glider and was shot down by German antiaircraft fire, coming down near Maldegem, Belgium.

This interview was conducted at the Travis Air Museum in Vacaville, California, in June of 2006. Sadly, Harold passed away on May 8, 2008.

This is Harold Axelson's World War II story.




FLIGHT OF DREAMS (PART II)

Texpat

I suppose this Swiss Jetman guy could go much higher than 3,000 ft altitude and practically coast in. The problem would be oxygen required increasing his weight.

*Woopsie, misread it, he's jumping off at 3,000 meters. O2 requirement for aircrews usually starts at 10,000 ft.

CSFFan

Just think..in a few years time it will be emergency equipment for farangs in all condos in Thailand.

Gerbil

Proper gliders.

A modern fibre glass / composite like a Nimbus 4 has a lift to drag ratio of better than 60:1, i.e. 60 kms forward for every 1000 meters loss in height.

I owned a Dart 17R in the 80's which was close to the peak of the old wood and fabric technology. That had a lift to drag ratio of 37:1. That could have done a channel crossing easily in normal circumstances.

Not many people actually bother to do this, as logistically it was a bugger getting back

dirtydog

^why don't they stick engines in them? They could go a lot further that way.

Gerbil

^That's for wusses

Actually you can get gliders with engines that unfold from the fuselage if you fcuk up which saves you from having to land in a field if you can't make it back to the airfield.

Not for me though, I prefered the 'purity' of the sport (and the clenched buttocks of landing in some farmers field, not knowing if he'd got a barb wire fence round the hedge or not )

Thetyim

I was under the impression that a few years back someone built a tunnel that enabled people to effortlessly cross the channel.
I must have missed the news item about the tunnel's demise.
What happened ?

Texpat

I would think you'd try to steer well clear of the hedge. It would make the barbed wire look like a walk in the park.

Gerbil

Here we have a glider overtaking a Mirage Jet fighter



(ok, the figher was about to stall..... )

Gerbil

Well famers fields in the UK are pretty small, although you tended to stop pretty quick while tearing up their crop , you didnt want to go hurtling into the wall/hedge at the other end (as your crumple zone was your feet/legs ), so the trick was to sideslip in as low as possible over the hedge, then kick the slip off, to straighten up and land as gently as possible to avoid fcuking up your paintwork too much.

dirtydog

Gerbil practising landing.



OOOPS

Gerbil

^ Any successful landing is one you can walk away from.

Only actually had one 'incident' myself - my first flight in a type unfamiliar to me (a Discus). I found on the downwind leg that my arms were not long enough to push the undercarriage lever far enough forward to lower and lock the gear. (needed about another half inch of reach) My harness was too tight and I didnt have the time to release it (which would also have been fcuking stupid at 400 ft and about to make the final turn), so I deliberately landed wheels up.

(Fcuking expensive night in the club bar that one )