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Thread: UPDATED: Human Birdwings first flight ... or was it?

  1. #1
    EAA Staff / Moderator Hal Bryan's Avatar
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    UPDATED: Human Birdwings first flight ... or was it?

    I've followed this project for a while, and was pretty interested when I heard about the video. Unfortunately, though, it may not be legit. I have my opinion, but what do you guys think? Real or CGI?



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=Q0tKFOcHyrI

    Hal Bryan
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  2. #2
    Chris In Marshfield's Avatar
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    Boy, I dunno... Seems borderline... Tough call...
    Christopher Owens (EAA #808438, VAA #723276)
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  3. #3
    Dana's Avatar
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    If he's running into a wind, he just might get enough airspeed to "hop" for a moment, as one can do when kiting a paraglider in a moderate breeze (and there does seem to be wind noise in the microphone)... but no way is the wing flapping doing anything at all.

  4. #4
    Looks fake to me.

  5. #5
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zack Baughman View Post
    Looks fake to me.
    My thoughts exactly.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  6. #6
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    For me, there's no hoax being perpetrated because they didn't do anything to warrant a "wow factor." There is no flying being done whatsoever. That nano second lift is a hop by the runner in a lame attempt to try and get airborne. The non-skeptical, logical, intuitive part of my brain says that a human being, no matter how well conditioned, with the most technologicaly advanced bird-like wings cannot run fast enough, cannot flap their arms fast enough or long enough to sustain anything resembling flight from a ground take-off. Let's discuss.

  7. #7
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
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    It would take a genetically engineered human with hollow bones (like birds) to be light enough to fly with birdlike wings. They have the wings - now they need to concentrate on developing a human with the correct characteristics to pull this off. Oh... and the wings will have to be modified to 'warp' like bird flight feathers.....
    Cheers,
    Jerry

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  8. #8
    Todd copeland's Avatar
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    Fake

  9. #9

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    Very fake looking!

  10. #10
    Jim Hann's Avatar
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    I'm thinking fake also.
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