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Dutch mechanical engineer Jarno Smeets created a stir on YouTube recently with a video that shows him flying by flapping a set of wings attached to his back -- without any connection between the wings and his arms. However, many questions have been raised regarding the video's authenticity. Smeets claims to have used two Nintendo Wii controllers held in his hands to transmit his arm motions to accelerometers via Bluetooth. These signals were in turn directed to two electric motors that flapped the wings.
Mr. Enderle comments about ground effect are partially right.
Relating to winged flight, ground effect exists up to approximately the wingspan of the aircraft. A 747 will be flying in ground effect to a much greater altitude than a Piper Cub would.
Even the Piper remains in ground effect well above 15 feet.
With a 40' wingspan Smeets' 'aircraft' would have been able to rise to about 40 feet within ground effect.
As Enderle stated, it takes much less effort to attain and maintain flight within this realm. All the successful man-powered flights were conducted in ground effect.
Relating to winged flight, ground effect exists up to approximately the wingspan of the aircraft. A 747 will be flying in ground effect to a much greater altitude than a Piper Cub would.
Even the Piper remains in ground effect well above 15 feet.
With a 40' wingspan Smeets' 'aircraft' would have been able to rise to about 40 feet within ground effect.
As Enderle stated, it takes much less effort to attain and maintain flight within this realm. All the successful man-powered flights were conducted in ground effect.
