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Flying Bicycle video — Parallax Forums

Flying Bicycle video

Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
edited 2013-06-18 14:17 in General Discussion
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/flying-bicycle-takes-off-without-help-e-t-152504930.html

Let's face it; growing up, we all wanted to find E.T. in our tool shed because he made bicycles fly. But, short of having a father working for NASA (and even that's no guarantee) the reality of a flying bicycle has eluded us. That is, until three Czech engineering groups joined forces to create such a contraption, inventing an electric flying bicycle that recently took its first air in Prague.

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2013-06-14 13:03
    Very cool! I want one! 'Not sure why it needs to be a bike, though.

    -Phil
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2013-06-14 13:05
    It's like sitting in the middle of some huge blender. No thanks.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-06-14 13:18
    Makes me wonder if the form factor of having two big fans fore & aft, and smaller side fans has any advantages over a standard quadrotor layout.

    And I'm with Phil, not sure what the bike brings to the party.

    Speaking of which, Race Across America is going on right now. Ultracyclists are racing their bikes around the clock (just a couple hours of sleep a night) from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, Maryland. Some good friends of mine are out there racing or supporting the racers in vans & RVs. I like Seana Hogan and Chris Ragsdale. So if you see any sleep-deprived zombie bikers weaving through your 'hood this week, cut 'em some slack. :)

    http://www.pavedmag.com/featured/race-across-america-2013-the-best-ever/

    http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam.php?N_webcat_id=1
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-06-14 14:23
    It's a large RC hex. If it were actually carrying a human (or at least the equivalent weight) then it would be more interesting.

    Piasecki showed that the fore/aft propeller arrangement was a good idea over half a century ago.
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2013-06-14 15:34
    At first I recalled the Gossamer Albatross which was a pedal powered plane in the 1970s.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-06-14 16:17
    W9GFO wrote: »
    Piasecki showed that the fore/aft propeller arrangement was a good idea over half a century ago.

    This Piaseki killed a pilot 30 years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7jENWKgMPY
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-06-14 18:18
    erco wrote: »
    This Piaseki killed a pilot 30 years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7jENWKgMPY

    Helicopters and the dangers of resonant vibration were pretty well understood back then, that was a very poorly engineered (obviously) blimp. Those helicopters fell off so quickly, you would expect some wobbling and shaking before the structure failed, giving the pilots some time to react/abort.
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2013-06-14 18:29
    Five minutes flight time, but a fun five minutes. Wonder if it will let you go straight up for five minutes haha.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2013-06-14 19:13
    Found this interesting video about Hitler's Horten Ho 229 attempt at making a stealth fighter

    http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/content/hitler-s-stealth-fighter-3942/
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2013-06-15 00:37
    The Horton, that was entirely made of.....plywood.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2013-06-15 04:54
    Let's see...
    1. motorcycle not running.
    2. still has outboard props for landing and take off.
    3. used a dummy
    4. r/c controlled

    At first I thought the motorcycle might actually contribute a stabilizing gyro effect, but it isn't on.

    It has a ways to go before it gets out there in the wind, the rain, and the sun. But I find it a lot more appealing than a flying car. Motorcycles tend to always have the option of going off road. With added flight, and less cost that a car... it could just appeal strongly to recreational users.
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2013-06-16 11:22
    I thought it will be using the muscle power...
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-06-17 04:43
    A brilliant idea, they could employ people to fly over the public and cool them down during heatwaves!! :smile:
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-06-17 06:40
    What worries me is these things must fall. If your car conks out, you can coast to stop. If your motorcycle conks out, you might fall, but you'll only fall a couple feet, you might survive less than 30 mph. If any flying machine has almost any problem, the only direction is down. Any higher than 10 feet, or faster than walking, you're dead.

    But nobody can resist stuff that flies, so I'll probably try to build one. Maybe let my boss test it.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-06-17 07:11
    prof_braino wrote: »
    What worries me is these things must fall. If your car conks out, you can coast to stop. If your motorcycle conks out, you might fall, but you'll only fall a couple feet, you might survive less than 30 mph. If any flying machine has almost any problem, the only direction is down. Any higher than 10 feet, or faster than walking, you're dead.

    At least in a fixed wing or helicopter if you lose power you have a chance. This thing, no chance at all.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2013-06-17 08:00
    prof_braino wrote: »
    What worries me is these things must fall. If your car conks out, you can coast to stop. If your motorcycle conks out, you might fall, but you'll only fall a couple feet, you might survive less than 30 mph. If any flying machine has almost any problem, the only direction is down. Any higher than 10 feet, or faster than walking, you're dead.

    But nobody can resist stuff that flies, so I'll probably try to build one. Maybe let my boss test it.

    Yes, it is always the landing that kills you. If man were meant to fly God would have provided the wings. The truth is that the modern up-to-date helicopter still has problems of falling out of the sky in spite of control advances. Sometimes, the air is just too thin, or a sudden downdraft occurs. Near to hillsides can be tricky due to daytime changes as the earth warms and cools.

    At least with wings, you have some option to glide.

    What is needed is a ballistically deployed parachute or an excellent ejection seat system.
  • dmagnusdmagnus Posts: 271
    edited 2013-06-17 10:34
    Wouldn't be hard to install a BRS parachute on it. They come in sizes for everything from ultralights to small jets.
    http://www.brsparachutes.com/brs_aviation_home.aspx
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-06-17 10:50
    On similar lines to the plane on the conveyor, If the bike's wheels were spinning fast would the bike just shoot forward and take the impact out of the crash? :smile:
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2013-06-17 23:34
    skylight wrote: »
    On similar lines to the plane on the conveyor, If the bike's wheels were spinning fast would the bike just shoot forward and take the impact out of the crash? :smile:

    If it landed upright but you'd probly go into a tank slapper unless you have been riding stunt bikes for awhile.
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-06-18 03:36
    I suppose another idea could be airbags that deploy just before impact?
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-06-18 08:07
    skylight wrote: »
    I suppose another idea could be airbags that deploy just before impact?

    Air bags are a controlled explosion to change your vector from forward to stopped less abruptly.

    Can any body calculate how big an airbag is needed for a human body in free fall?

    I guess an air bag is only needed when your too high to survive ( 5 meters?) and too low for a parachute (300 meters?). How big would that air bag be? Just for a body, maybe leave the bike out for now....
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2013-06-18 11:31
    I was thinking of all around airbags like used on the mars missions :smile:
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    edited 2013-06-18 13:02
    skylight wrote: »
    On similar lines to the plane on the conveyor, If the bike's wheels were spinning fast would the bike just shoot forward and take the impact out of the crash? :smile:

    Oh, no. Nooooooooo, not THAT thread again..........................................................................
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2013-06-18 14:17
    Really cool video! But I wouldn't trade my U-Turn Blacklight for that particular flying bike.
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