The bird
man flies over the Alps
19 May 2008 - Switzerland
Yves “FusionMan” Rossy, the first man to
fly under a single jet-powered wing, completed his first official
demonstration on May May 14 th 2008 at midday. Released from a plane at an
altitude of
The spectacle was impressive. Yves Rossy leapt from the plane with his wing folded, then
deployed his craft and began the flight proper. He made several “figure of
eights” above spectators aware of being present at an exceptional event. At the
end of the flight FusionMan deployed his parachute,
folded the wing and landed safely at Bex airdrome,
The
fusion of technology, body and mind
Yves Rossy represents the intensely close relationship between
the development of a technology, a body honed to perfection which he uses to
steer his craft, and a mind attuned to split-second coordination of flight
parameters. The only instruments available to Yves Rossy are a throttle and an audible altimeter. Otherwise he
flies like a bird, using only his body to change direction. The name FusionMan reflects this synergy of diverse skills that has
made a dream come true.
Future developments
This
14th of May marks the first official step in developing the wing designed by
Yves Rossy. Thanks to the support of Jean-Claude Biver, the boss of Hublot watches,
the pilot can devote more of his time to his passion and its future development.
Some exploits are likely to leave a lasting impression: the first release from a
hot air balloon, the first flight in formation or the first “loop the loop” are
just some of the pioneering feats that FusionMan is
hoping to accomplish over the coming months. The Channel crossing is scheduled
for next autumn. Powered by scaled down Jet- Cat engines, his aircraft has
exceptional potential in terms of flying time and range, safety and handling.
The jet wing
It was in March 2003 that the first
jet engine was ignited at altitude, on the Allalin
glacier in Saas Fee, then on board an aircraft. The
German company Jet-Cat supplied the engines which were initially attached to an
inflatable wing. This method failed because of insufficient rigidity. In 2004
Yves Rossy developed a rigid deployable carbon wing
manufactured by ACT Composites. The
early days were difficult. At the Al-Aïn air show –
probably the world’s largest event of its kind – he went into a spin, released
the wing and tore his parachute. The craft was partially destroyed. The pilot
worked on improving the wing deployment system and the aerodynamics of the wing
tips to improve its stability. In 2005, he completed two successful flights
under a wing fitted with two jet engines. A month later, he risked death again
as uncontrollable oscillations forced him to release the wing which crashed to
the ground. A long year of hard work and the addition of two additional jet
engines were needed for the wing to attain the required level of performance and
safety. This was the flight of November
Since then, Yves Rossy has been
training constantly in order to optimise his wing. In April 2007, during a test
flight, Yves was again forced to jettison his prototype. Seriously damaged, the
wing took several months to repair. Yves Rossy then
decided to build a new, more reliable and efficient prototype. Since 2008, his
wings have been perfected further to enhance his flying enjoyment.
Source
: Media Impact