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Experiments with Wing Suits Aimed at Jumping without a Parachute
from: Maxx Sports GuidesIt's normal to rely on a parachute to get you down to earth in one piece. Even motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel used one.
However, some people seem to have become jaded and aren't thrilled as much by skydiving with a parachute. It was just a matter of time before someone pushed the limits of aerodynamics and parachute skydiving.
As far fetched as it may sound, enthusiasts have found a way to jump off a plane without using a parachute.
Using the flying squirrel as a model, skydivers are now attempting to disembark from a plane and land safely on the ground without a parachute.
Many consider this dangerous but tests are still being done around the world. The technology is still being developed and designers refuse to divulge their own ideas because of competition.
Death-Defying Feat
Practically speaking, jumping off an airplane without a parachute is stupid, but many skydiving enthusiasts are eager to be the first one to accomplish this death-defying feat.
Skydiving today is a common parachute sport. Skydivers are willing to push the limits for a world record. Some skydivers have come up with their own design to enable them to accomplish the feat.
Skydivers are attempting to land by using a wing suit without the use of a parachute. Wing suits aren't new.
In 1990 Patrick de Gayardon created a safer modern version. Since then it has been put to use by enthusiasts with the aid of parachutes.
Using the wing suit and landing without the aid of a parachute is almost like flying, which has inspired many skydivers to push their abilities to the limit. A vertical trajectory is followed, compared to the usual horizontal direction in skydiving.
Suit Wings Fill With Air
The wing suit has nylon woven tightly between the legs, arms, and torso. This creates wings that fill with air and produce lift. The suit allows forward movement and aerial manoeuvres while slowing down to descend.
BASE jumper Jeb Corliss has designed his own wing suit that he thinks will enable him to land without a parachute. In recent years he was still testing his design and hadn't attempted to actually land using it. The first test involved jumping out of a plane, making a 270 turn and then re-entering the aircraft.
Unfortunately the first test didn't go well; he missed the plane and was forced to land with a parachute. He planed to get funding and make the first landing on a runway that he was also to design. The design was similar to the principle behind Nordic ski jumping.
Another designer has also made her own prototype wing suit. Maria von Egidy cannot test the suit herself so she employs skydivers to test them for her. She was also looking for funding and was still working on a way to land the pilot safely.
The main problem with wing suits is landing. Pilots can slow down vertical descent by 30 miles an hour but they are moving forward 75 miles per hour. Even though a pilot can manage to slow down his descent, any wrong movement can be fatal. The plan was for the pilot to slide down while von Egidy planned to create a form of forward brakes.
For now landing without a parachute is still in the experimental stages. Individuals may have to settle for skydiving for the time being before they can glide through the sky like a flying squirrel.
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