Mozi Human-powered airplane test flight.divx

Mao Yiqing tests his human-powered airplane, Mozi. He hopes to fly the plane across Dianshan Lake near Shanghai.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Wired.com
• human-powered
• airplane

[jackvincent90]

use an amazing gear system to get the propeller spinning faster

[squarlboy9]

does any one relise how much this looks like the wright brothers flight

[pcred566]

@jackvincent90 Hmm... that's a thought. Perhaps you're right.

[jackvincent90]

@pcred566 a carbon fibre transmission or summet? the prop just looks like its spinning so slow, surely they can get it going faster

[pcred566]

@jackvincent90 That's what I thought. But the inclusion of such a device could/would drastically increase the weight of the aircraft. The key is to get the thing to be as light as is humanly possible.

[Urhoboman5]

Bike plane ftw.

Plus no one would ever get fat. It probably would never get popular but good try though. I like this video. :-D

[mysterjd3]

ground effect much?

[andmar0401]

@ziaolol Point taken

[ziaolol]

@andmar0401 stronger = more muscles = more weight = requires even more power. No point.

And as you saw, the plane generated enough thrust to be able to get some air, speed isn't the issue. it's fatigue and how our muscles aren't really built for continuous hard work

[andmar0401]

@ziaolol Get a really strong person then.

[ziaolol]

@jackvincent90 that would require more power from the person powering it

[nhand42]

@210482fmj "most critics will immediatlly say its impossible"

It was done in 1988. Google for Daedalus.