Fusionman
Yves Rossy, not to be confused with Buzz Lightyear, successfully crossed the English Channel today -- the first to do so in a solo flight with jet-propelled wing. Rossy was dropped from a plane at 8,200 feet and flew 22-miles in under 10 minutes from Calais to Dover. When asked by National Geographic's Kathryn Liptrott
if he was worried about risk, Rossy replied, "I'm not worried about risk, I manage risk." We've so gotta meet this guy. If you're looking to pick up one of these jet powered carbon-fiber wings for your own unspeakable mischief, expect to pay around the $190,000 mark. Rossy is eager to see these aviation wonders catch on and has designs on forming a Red Arrows-style aerobatic team one day.
[Via
BBC News]
posted Sep 26th 2008 3:31PM
One word.
Badass.
that is possibly the coolest photo i've seen all year.
The guy's got jets on his back and cannon balls in his trousers. My hat goes off to you sir!
God you guys are idiots. Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story was "flying with style" hence his comment. I was wondering why he wasn't a Highest Rank. Looks like you idiot can't tell a movie liner from a troll.
@ Kris: the quote was actually "falling with style". Your typo is glaring. If you're going to attack/correct people, it would be good for you to properly cite the source.
Thanks for playing.
Fusionman, you win.
Balls of Steel!
I bet he was listening to Kenny Loggins on repeat the whole way.
"Hiiiiiiiiighway to the Danger ZONE!"
I'm not sure what would go good with this...
an MP5sd or a flamethrower hooked to his fuel tank.
Boba Fett eat your heart out!
Big deal. This guy "fell" across the English Channel...
I'd be more impressed if he took off from the ground, and landed without a parachute.
"That wasn't flying! That was... FALLING WITH STYLE!"
Did you even watch the video, he "fell" out of the plane then he started to climb after he go over the water which kind of implys that he is flying, since you cant fall upwards.
idiot.
Ummm... No... He did not "climb". The camera that was following him descended to his level...
You are a goon bag!
Erm no it didnt, the plane was flying level the camera just followed him in an arc.
Id like to see you "fall" over the english channel, preferably without a fixed wing or a parachte.
I'm not sure what you learned in physics class, but this guy (and his wings) probably stopped benefiting from the speed of his dive at about the 2 minute mark.
The fact he didn't crash and burn the second the jets kicked in is impressive enough for me - but this guy flew for 10 minutes!
Flying or falling with style...
Everybody has a right to their own opinion. Yours is just wrong.
What does the Wright brothers first aircraft, the X-1, Space Ship One, and this guy all have in common?
They set their record with out taking off with 100% of their own power.
The Wright brothers aircraft had help taking off with a pulley, the X-1 that broke the sound barrier was dropped from a B-52, Space Ship one was dropped from its own transport plane in lieu of the first stage booster, and this guy was dropped of via another plane.
While it would have been "awsomer" if he had manged to take off from the ground with out help, this is still a incredible achievement.
I watched it live, and it was much more than falling or even gliding.
Yes he took off from a plane, do you expect him to run with the 60 pound jet pack on his back to take off speed? Come on..
He maintained the height, and certainly was not falling. Also, just before he landed, he did a large loop around and some acrobatics, similar to what a normal plane would do.
The Shizz you are a class A tool.
Jumping out of an airplane at relatively low altitude he would have crashed and burned into the sea long before he got across the channel if he was just "falling with style".
OK, the video on this page isn't all that impressive...
This one is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zrG3B2_Juw
"That isn't flying, it's falling... with style" is a quote from Toy Story 2... Bunch of idiots
Its actually from Toy Story, not Toy Story 2. Always proofread your shiiiiiiit maaayiiin!
I like how he was basically imitating a V1 rocket flying into britain but nobody wanted to mention that :)
The v1 flew towards britain horizontally with small wings then the engine cut out and it fell to the ground (and exploded) you see, similar setup.
... Uhum. And I bet you can do better.
To infinity and beyond!
It's not carbon fiber, it's reinforced adamantium!
To English Channel and beyond! to be correct ;)
adamantium?? that's so last century
They are a terillium-carbonic alloy, and he can fly!
why did "To Infinity and Beyond" get modded up and "falling with style" get modded down? mods make no sense.
Do I get a wrist mounted laser with my wings... or a red blinky light?
I for one welcome our buzz light year overlords.
the word "ninja" gets tossed around a lot these days, but this really is quite ninja. Who designed/engineered this thing? Sounds like a military project - but it's not?
He did...
He is a Major in the Swiss Air Force (IIRC), and those jets are off the shelf RC model plane engines, which keeps the cost much lower than if he had to build the engines himself.
Go that man !!!
Its bird! its a plane! its Gatchaman!
I agree, this guy is totally my new hero, but it makes me feel like im guna need to hustle if i want to be the first to cross the english channel in some interesting way.
Yeah that channel is a nice excuse, but it's hard to think of new ways.
I was listening to Rocketman as this post popped up... Weiiirrrrddd.
i must admit, that is pretty cool.
but you still need a plane and parachute for this to work.
I'll join his aerobatic team! I just need to find the money... I don't really need 2 kidneys, do I?
Depends wether you dont want to die if you crash and lose the only one you have.
@ArcticFox: You have three kidneys? Luuuucky...
http://www.felixbaumgartner.com
this guy did it without a jet-propelled wing in 2003.
start in 9300m above dover. 360km to calais. top speed 360km/h (224 miles per hour)
What's stopping him from running off the ground and then switching on the engines at full power? I know he might get singed, but there must be ways around that :)
The engines dont look powerful enough to create enough lift to get him off the ground, just like space shuttles need the massive booster rockets he would need a massive engine to get him off the ground.
there's no way those wings could generate the necessary lift without massive acceleration. I wonder if he got shot out of a cannon...
Bigger engine needed? Kthx.
so what your saying is he needs to base jump off one of the cliffs on Baffin Island (canada), and fly into the US. Not sure how far that would be, but it would totally kick ass. Of course the cliffs on Baffin Island are only 4000 feet tall, so it may be a little risky...
Hawkman was unavailable for comment.
I am Buzz Lightyear, SPACE RANGER, universe protection unit. I come in peace.
"I fall in peace" xD
PowerXtreme!!
He does resemble Ace McCloud somewhat doesn't he?
JAJAJAJAJAJAJA I think the same!!!!
As if that helmate would really save him in a crash....I love how he still managed to grab some advertising dough with Hubox or whatever.
The helmet is more for deflecting the air than it is to protect your head in a crash
No, but it would sure as hell save your scalp from a bird.
Its Hublot.. And its a Swiss luxury watch brand.
Oh, and the guy was crossing the channel at around 120mph.. for those mentioning he glidded somehow.. sigh
Imagine talking off from an aircraft carrier with that on your back. Lay down on a Mechanic's dolly and hold on to the catapult. That would be sweet!
I swear I thought my Lego set just came to life.
Jet-Wing firmware update v1.1
-------------------------------------------
Changelog:
-FIXED: The seatbelt should now work as intended.
-FIXED: A problem which caused the turbines to explode upon ignition has been corrected -- thank you for your submissions.
I hope he had a Fushionman cam recording his flight from the first person. That would be hot.
is this the next big thing from those air hog toys?
COBRA!!!!
Long ago in the classic cartoon Cobra had these personal flying wings that were jet powered that looks EXACTLY like this thing but without the missile hardpoints and gun mounts and landing gear. Man, its resemblance is uncanny.
awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQwXOCKNLY
"I'm not worried about risk, I manage risk."
He must have been trained at the Lehman Brothers School of Risk Management...
Doubt it, didn't see him crash so far.
someone please remind me, what's that 80s cartoon, where 3 dudes had equipments beamed down to them from a space station, while one can turn into a boat/sub, another one can form a bike, and one can have jet packs and fly.
anyone?
this guy reminded me of that cartoon
this is so cool!
Centurions. He would be Ace.
I believe the show was called "The Centurions"... I may be wrong though.
Sounds like M.A.S.K.
Interesting at best.
I wonder if he uses Mr.Fusion to power those rockes??
And Rossy?? I'd change my name to something more superhero-like like Yves Stark
oh no wait I get it, its so bad guys underestimate him, and never ever reveal his tru identity good thinking there mr Rossy... wink, wink
Bah. My memory of 80s cartoons has holes in it. It was Centurions.
Death from above, the future foot soldiers of the next great war.
Any one else thinking Lawn Darts?
So this guy works for a living? When I first heard about him a couple of months ago I just assumed he was an eccentric billionaire. I'm gonna go make a more budget friendly version of this with wood, duct tape and some model rocket engines.
check out his website: www.jet-man.com
i have to wonder what the aerodynamics of that thing is........especially if he had to be dropped at 8200 feet
he should prolly put some thrust vectoring on that thing if he wants it to be useful
I thought this was amazingly impressive, I just don’t care that he was dropped, nor that he landed by parachute. I simply admire the sheer determination of a Swiss national to get out of France and come to Britain by any means possible.
rage.....RAGE!!!
Show me your rage!!!
now all he needs is a cooler helmet and a grenade launcher and he could rain hell.
wow 66 comments and nobody mentions this is on tonight (9/26) on National Geographic Channel at 8pm. Gooooo Tivo
I believe the jet engines he is using are the same as used on model airplanes - JetCat.
Cue the James Bond music.....dum-dee-dee-dee-dee dee dee dum-dee-dee-dee-dee dee dee.....
Even though he launched at ~8000ft. he was flying. His geometric Lift to Glide ratio was around 14.1 at a speed of ~130mph. Not stellar, but how much wing can you pack into an airplane?
The next evolution might include teaming up with jean Yves Blondeau, aka Rollerman (the third coolest Frenchman alive, behind Fusionman, and President Sarkozy - look at his wife...) to come up with a take off gear so that a longer aspect ratio wing, more fuel, and more jet engines can make a conventional take off a reality.
Even though he launched at ~8000ft. he was flying. His geometric Lift to Glide ratio was around 14.1 at a speed of ~130mph. Not stellar, but how much wing can you pack into an airplane?
The next evolution might include teaming up with jean Yves Blondeau, aka Rollerman (the third coolest Frenchman alive, behind Fusionman, and President Sarkozy - look at his wife...) to come up with a take off gear so that a longer aspect ratio wing, more fuel, and more jet engines can make a conventional take off a reality.
I've read, and this was awhile ago, that the German Gov't is already evaluating these for special forces insertion; I'm sure the US is as well.
Do you remember the centurions?!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurions
Dude, almost two decades to see him alive!!!
I can imagine the military uses for this. "Death from above! Oh no! its the band of the hawk!" I bet m16 bullets shot from that distance above ground can go through some1's skull and out his ass...
If that's your bet I'd stay away from vegas and the tracks, find another hobby instead. because betting isn't your thing :)
Maybe you are right. I lost a Gazillion dollars on AIG a few weeks ago.
Um, why do I see this ending badly?
Remember daylight with Stallone? Vigo Mortesson was the rich badass that said he ate risk for dinner.
Nuff said.
to infinity and beyond?
That is brilliant and the second video in the comments above with him flying around the mountains is incredible. He even did a roll at one point. That and the new Canon 5d mkII made my day. :)
Anyone remember that movie Condorman?
He has got to be featured in Iron Man 2. Just like that scene in Dark Knight where Batman sees all his imitators or the scene in Spider-man 2 where he is in the elevator and the guy next to him says "Nice suit!"
I can imagine Stark flying toward some mission somewhere, and he just flies by this guy testing version 2 of this thing and goes "Nice suit!"