Human bird wings

[austenandrews]

Re: Human bird wings

 

Right, my question is whether there's some kind of theoretical hard size limit above which flapping wings can't work at all, based on air density or whatever. Or is it all a proverbial "matter of engineering."

[MisterVimes]

Re: Human bird wings

 

We are discussing future science here. Throw in some extrapolation of quantum levitation to "lock" the pilot and the wings might allow for "swimming" in the air.

 

[Zeropoint]

Re: Human bird wings

 

We are discussing future science here.

 

In that case, you can buy future science for 30 dollars from Amazon.com. Ornithopters WORK. We can, have, and do build them. The question at hand is, can the technology be scaled up to carry a human, or is there some factor not obvious to aeronautical engineering laymen such as ourselves that would prevent it? Are flapping wings too inefficient, doomed to failure when scaled thanks to the square-cube law? There have been some freaky big pterosaurs that flew, which proves that it's at least plausible. I would expect that the relatively low sophistication of man-made flapping wing systems would be offset by the improved strength-to-weight and power-to-weight ratios of inorganic materials and power plants, but I don't KNOW.

 

In any case, this is certainly a case that modern science could answer, if anyone with the money cared about it.

[Christopher]

Re: Human bird wings

 

We are discussing future science here. Throw in some extrapolation of quantum levitation to "lock" the pilot and the wings might allow for "swimming" in the air.

I thought about it negating the gravitgy/mass as well, but more precise thinking led me to understand that it changes nothing:

There is a limit to how much force (gravity, acceleration) quantum leveitation can counter (otherwise you could not move the object up/down in the field).

[austenandrews]

Re: Human bird wings

 

There have been some freaky big pterosaurs that flew' date=' which proves that it's at least plausible.[/quote']

Apparently some people have doubts that the biggest ones actually flew.

[MisterVimes]

Re: Human bird wings

 

Apparently some people have doubts that the biggest ones actually flew.

 

Current evidence is that Quetzalcoatlus did not fly, but climbed and glided.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Human bird wings

 

Would it save weight to cover the wing surface with the latest generation of solar energy collectors, and use sunlight as the primary power source for the muscle-assistors, thereby eliminating a payload of fuel or batteries? Obviously solar power would limit when the machine could be used, but this is more the demonstration of a principle rather than a practical transportation option.

[Christopher]

Re: Human bird wings

 

Would it save weight to cover the wing surface with the latest generation of solar energy collectors' date=' and use sunlight as the primary power source for the muscle-assistors, thereby eliminating a payload of fuel or batteries? Obviously solar power would limit when the machine could be used, but this is more the demonstration of a principle rather than a practical transportation option.[/quote']

There are functioning long range solar planes, but they are all fixed wing. There are multiple considerations: Weight of the Solar panels (as opposed to normal Wingmaterial), the flapping (so you could block out a large part of your power generation jsut by creating shados, the need for a battery to fly at night.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Human bird wings

 

... the need for a battery to fly at night.

 

I meant no night flying, hence no battery. This would just be to demonstrate that it can be done, under optimum conditions.