Flying Dutchmen

[billy.leliveld]

True or hoax?
This has been buzzing today on the net, seems to good to be true
Flying like a bird | part 14/14 - YouTube!

[Retired_for_now]

Interesting. Compare the evident size of the wings to hang gliders and parafoils (soaring "square" parachutes) or backpack powered parachutes. That much seems plausible. Less likely is the ability to takeoff and climb from a level surface by running and flapping his arms.
Some possibilities:
1. "real" event as shown - not likely based on takeoff performance.
2. modified hang glider being launched on a downslope with cameras angled to make it appear flat - probably not as the buildings and trees seem correctly oriented.
3. modified hang glider with back pack motor photoshopped out - probably not based on the lack of remant artifacts (would have to delete prop blast as well).
4. modified hang glider being towed by vehicle with tow rope and vehicle photoshopped out - fairly likely as there are some suspicious artifacts below the "bird" where a tow rope would be just after takeoff (00:34) and some interesting ruts in the grass right in front of and in line with the flight path seen before the landing (00:59).

For my money - he's actually gliding being towed by a four-wheeler with the video processed to remove the tow vehicle and rope.

Yogi (always under the wet blanked of reason ...)

[rjm]

Looks like a cross between Leonard Da Vinci and the Wright Brothers.

[wag]

I have to agree with Yogi. If you remember Dr. Macready's actual man powered aircraft they had a wing area similar to a DC-9, weighed almost nothing when empty and were powered by a bicycle racer pedaling the thing. That said I have to give them credit-they certainly did a magnificent job making it look real.
Wayne

[billy.leliveld]

I think that you have to run about 40mph to get off the ground, I have been flying hang gliders in the past, to me it looks impossible taking of like that with no wind, there is a real difference between air and ground speed..

[Retired_for_now]

Originally Posted by billy.leliveld

I think that you have to run about 40mph to get off the ground, I have been flying hang gliders in the past, to me it looks impossible taking of like that with no wind, there is a real difference between air and ground speed..

Good points - though you can get a kite/parasail off the ground at a fairly slow speed. Used to pull a parasail (old style, round canopy) behind the boat and 10-15mph was plenty to fly it. In fact, the parasail made so much drag that's about as fast as my little 70hp motor would pull it. Trying to go faster just made the dang thing go higher (and wife who does not really like heights was NOT happy with that).
Yogi

[richkat]

Fake! good job of faking it, but fake. This would be all over the news if they realy did it.....Rich

[Zathros]

Proves that Bullshi^t does fly!!

[billy.leliveld]

The guy just showed up in a dutch television program, like David Letterman and admitted it's fake , he is a documentary maker and , well pulled a leg or two....

[Retired_for_now]

Dutch TV - documentary maker -- tell me it wasn't Paper Kosmonaut fooling around last weekend!

Yogi