It's just an airship and glider. The only 'innovation' I see is adding a great amount of parasitic drag to the glider portion of the flight to run compressed air turbines. Overall it would require 'recharging' compressed air while landing. I can't imagine that it would be fun going any distance in this craft either as it looks to have very slow speeds. A glider that can go hundreds of miles sounds good, but would require hours in a descending glide.

mmmmm.... I dunno....
but I'd like to glide one in to a landing!

The hover chair's magnets require no re-charge and will shed just 2% of their power over the first 20 years of use.

While the hover chair of course falls into the novelty category at this early stage, I can imagine a variety of future applications for long-lived magnetics that include shock absorption while walking or gliding, new-fangled fitness training equipment and ultimately some sort of hover board that works in concert with a gyroscopically regulated platform such as the one at the heart of the Segway human transporter.

I really think you could debate whether or not he has an advantage. Not an argument of being an amputee is an advantage but whether or not the carbon feet give him an added advantage over people with their legs fully intact. (In a vague sense, like the "shark skin" swim suits that help water glide over a swimmers body.)

In his case he has no lower legs and his body dynamics for running have changed. Do the carbon feet now provide him with more "spring" than what would naturally occur? Factors like the weight .. a few pounds can make a great difference.

Really tired so shortened.. what mechanically would be equivalent to human legs... what would be deemed fair and unfair. Its a topic worth discussing like steroid abuse (not that I'm trying to link the two, just sayin itd be an interesting discussion)

Something I however do find similar..

http://www.videosift.com/video/Powerisers-Like-Supercharged-Pogo-Sticks-Strapped-to-Each-Leg-Insane-218

Video above is for Powerisers which are basically springs for your legs, the rod in the back acts like a giant Achilles tendon and calf muscle like on kangaroos allowing the users to jump great heights/distances. Stuff like what kind of mechanical advantage can be compared and yadda yadda..

Again not that being an amputee is an advantage but the equipment being used by the amputee putting him at an added advantage.

Ba.. tired, and this post longer than I thought...

>> ^CelticSocks:
Hi mauz, the golden eagle cannot make a flat takeoff with more than about 6 pounds. If it's grabbing prey off a hillside or cliff it can carry twice that weight and still be able to maintain altitude. However, with something as big as what we just saw in this video the eagle is basically acting as nothing more than a parachute, it can glide a bit but there's no way it will be able to stop it's descent.


It also depends on whether the golden eagle is african or european...

Hi mauz, the golden eagle cannot make a flat takeoff with more than about 6 pounds. If it's grabbing prey off a hillside or cliff it can carry twice that weight and still be able to maintain altitude. However, with something as big as what we just saw in this video the eagle is basically acting as nothing more than a parachute, it can glide a bit but there's no way it will be able to stop it's descent.

upvote for that crazy gliding eagle/goat shot.

>> ^moodonia:
That game looks really good. No idea what any of that meant but does anyone know what that final song was? Takes me back to days...


The game is Eve Online - and it's truly excellent. http://www.eve-online.com for more info and 14-day free trial. And yes, I wrote both those tracks specifically for the video. And double yes - imo you can never have too many howling 303s and gliding arps.

Downloadable mp3s of both tracks are available here, though forgive me a bit of legalese first:

By downloading these tracks you agree that you will only use them for your own personal enjoyment, and may not repackage or redistribute them in any way, shape or form.

Approaching 4-4: http://tinyurl.com/2stf2h
Into the gatecamp: http://tinyurl.com/2rzmow

Glad you enjoyed them. Plenty more tracks I've written are available. Get in touch with me ingame (character: jnb).

Best,

jnb

It may be played on an emu, but I too can attest to at least most of that being the original SMB behavior. In fact, for the first few minutes of the video I was wondering what was so special about it other than his precision. The main bug he utilizes is the mis-calculation of collision with ground, which even I've used way back in the day. It's how he jumps from nothing when he's next to a wall, pipe, or brick, how he glides through bricks in the underground areas, and how the turtle gets stuck below the floor. There were a couple tricks I hadn't seen before though, so I'm going to have to go rewatch it, maybe try it out on my NES.

Never doubt my google-fu.
"And tried a technique called pulse and glide"

At first I thought he said "selsun glide" - but I too couldn't understand him, so I donned my +23 Ring of Hearing (noise cancelling headpohones) and replayed it a few times to catch the word "glide." From there it was to Google, and now I give you this:
It's "pulse & glide"
http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm

TheSofaKing> that's because what you saw was "ski jumping" while the correct term for the crazy stunt seen in this video is "ski flying" - the only difference being of course the size of the hill. the jumpers on these big hills effectively use a so-called V technique and glide along the curvature of the hill on this cushion the air provides at speeds around 100km/h. there is also a separate world cup competition in skiflying. the record jump was performed in Slovenia at Planica ski center where most of the record flights of the past decades took place. as you can see we slovenes are a bit crackpot about skiflying

As time rolls foward, the more money these corporations pump into pseudo-science bullshit to stem the flow of renewable, sustainable energy forms from taking foot, the more emboldened it makes those who are in the business of ridding humanity from its oil/coal dependancy.

Non-energy corporations are waking up to the fact that once initial investment capital has been paid off from an economical energy source, the fuel for the energy thereafter is 100% free, and virtually unlimited, with extremly low maintenance and upkeep costs. Long term, switching over is far cheaper than keeping the status quo.

So to all those asswipes who think we have no control over global warming, who have no idea about the physics thats seated behind the theory of global warming (which by the way, in scientific nomenclature, a 'theory' is the highest level of prestige awarded to human understanding, theories explain facts under observable and crucifiable situations), who have had no formal education in even physics 101 where thermal dynamics is taught, who have never read a book in their lives, and have a slippery, astro-glide encased grasp on any concept of economics, I give you, a big shut the fuck up, sit down, and accept that renewables are the way of the future, wether you fucking like it or not.

So sick and tired of these stall tactics that are continually pushed in the face of humanity for no other reason than to promote corporate greed, all at the expense of the humanity they sell their shit to.

/rant

To appeal to the corporate, democratic, industrialised capitalists out there still on the fence about global warming and our need to act or not. Put the whole debate out of your head, and think from your hip-pocket.

Imagine a world where the energy required to run everything in your house, is literally, free.
It is uninterrupted, enviornmentally friendly, unlimited, free energy.

From a business point of view, even if this energy, after investment capital was paid off (read: wind, concentrated solar thermal, geo-thermal or wave power), was sold for 3c/kwHr, you would still be making a huge proffit. And, worst case scenario on maintaining status quo, you would be save near total annihilation of the human race.

There is no sane argument against going to electrical cars, powered up by a grid that sources it energy from 100% renewable and sustainable energy, anyone who claims otherwise is a fruitcake.

I got my glider license when I was 16 (almost 20 years ago...wow). Our training gliders had probably the worst glide ratio and no engine but it was still amazing to actually be able to find thermals and climb higher without the tow plane.

You just had to pay attention to your actual altitude and not focus just on the VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator) or you might end up in big trouble (not that that ever happened to me ).

Thanks for the sift...brings back memories...

The scouts gliding around actually had me laughing out loud.

No, you are right - the glide ratio on a light plane like that is quite good and I would have enjoyed the video more if he had relied on piloting skill to set the airplane back down on the runway rather than... AAAHHHHH!!!!!! MUST PULL PARACHUTE!!!!!

Engine out landings are a skill that is required in order to earn a pilot's license and should be frequently practiced afterward along with other basic skills such as stall recovery, spin recovery, dead reckoning, etc. After all, you never know when an emergency situation might develop.