Swiss pilot Yves “Jetman” Rossy has taken his jet-powered backpack wing into new territory, flying in formation with a pair of jets. His recent flight over Switzerland demonstrates the increasing level of control Rossy has with his four-engined wing.
To complete the flight, Rossy flew at max speed using only body movement to maneuver himself into position with two members of the Breitling demonstration team. In contrast to Rossy’s all-out effort, the Aero Vodochody L-39C jets flying alongside him were operating near the bottom of their performance envelope.
Jetman has made numerous demonstration flights with his carbon-fiber wing, including jaunts over the English Channel and the Grand Canyon. The former military pilot flies airliners as his day job and has been flying his wing since 2006.
With a span of just over 6.5 feet (2 meters), the entire wing weighs about 120 pounds (55 kg). The four engines provide around 200 pounds (88 kg) of thrust and Rossy has about 10 minutes’ worth of fuel for each flight. He lands under a parachute.
Enjoy the photos and video.
Photos: Alain Ernoult/Breitling, Video: Breitling
The carbon fiber wing of Yves Rossy
A close up of the 48 pound thrust jet engines that power Rossy's wing.
Yves Rossy in flight.
No comments:
Post a Comment