Douglas C. George wrote:This is a strap-on-your-back hang glider I designed a number of years ago. Articles about it were published in the 1997 issue of Ultralight magazine and the October 1997 issue of Sailplane Builder.
It must have been in 2009 when I first stumbled on DC George's "Project Falcon". Back then, the site contained significantly less information on the design. But the drawings were captivating and inspiring. I mean, the project aims for nothing less than the ultimate dream of human bird-like flight. As sketched, it would be a strap-on suit that allows for actual bird-like flight - complete with feathers, flapping, collapsible wings and even bird-like visuals.
At my first visit to the site first I thought, this is way over the top and more into the realm of science fiction. In particular, the specs of the drive and power unit seemed to be beyond reasonable parameters. However, this was before the full potential of lithium batteries combined with weight optimized motors and efficient power electronics became evident to the general public including me. See how quad copters literally jump into the air and even manned drones are able to achieve decent flights. So I tended to revisit the site every other year and have closer look on the details.
My current thinking is that the project falcon seems doable if money would be essentially limitless. But there seem to be some issues in the design that need to be resolved. The details will be the topic of my next posts.
---<)kaimartin(>---
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