Puffins fly longer, faster, stronger

[Chun Liroy]

Forget the Segway. Leave that jet pack behind. NASA is working on a personal flying suit.

Conceptual designs for the experimental vehicle, called Puffin, were introduced by Mark D. Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center, at a meeting of the American Helicopter Society on Jan. 20 in San Francisco. The Puffin is designed to be 12 feet in length, with a total wingspan of 14 and a half feet; it would weigh in at 300 pounds (without a pilot).

Two major elements distinguish the Puffin suit from the jet packs of ’50s-era sci-fi flicks. First, it is completely self-contained: the pilot would actually step into the suit, which has a cockpit-like area and helicopter-style blades, allowing for high-altitude flying (unlike those sci-fi jet packs).

Second, it is designed to be powered by electric motors, making it relatively quiet, lightweight and more reliable (electric motors have fewer moving parts than conventional ones), and with a low environmental impact.

Of course, the Puffin is just a theory at the moment. It might be best used for covert military missions or rescue operations. But if it does emerge as an option for conventional flight, traffic jams might take on a whole new meaning.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhpPhvWvLgk

Seems interesting, though apparently nasa doesn't see the true reason for an open flight feeling rather than flying in some suit.

[Seanr]

Put me on the list for 3

[Blabj]

Landing and taking off seems pretty sketchy.

No doubt I'd love to own one, but I bet for the first few goes it'd be absolutely terrifying.

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

flying cars here we come

[Cleverness]

People have enough trouble driving on the road, what makes people think flying cars will be any better <_<

[Sylvrdragon]

People have enough trouble driving on the road, what makes people think flying cars will be any better <_<

A whole extra dimension in which to avoid shit?

[Gargoyle]

A whole extra dimension in which to run into shit?

And the reason some people see it being bad.

[Cleverness]

A whole extra dimension in which to avoid shit?

Exactly, people can't handle the current simple dimensions, the hell makes me think they can handle the ones that FLYING will give us?

Seriously, FUI(Flying Under the Influence) is gonna lead to some random accidents. "Man flies into hospital". Although in that case the comedy writes itself...

[SamanosukeShiva]

not related, well kinda

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

People have enough trouble driving on the road, what makes people think flying cars will be any better <_<

Are you kidding me hve you seen Back to the Future 2?

[Vajra]

Flying cars are bullshit, who needs more air traffic man. If anything I'd rather see hovering magnetic cars, but that would mean we'd have to rebuild a lot of roads and make them magnetic like the bullet trains in Japan and France. There already is a flying car too btw, one that transforms into a a plane and flys then transforms back into a car after it lands. I think flying cars would be more of a luxury rather than a trend. Magnetic hovering cars is the way to go. Trust me, if we had flying cars we'd have to have civilizations up in the sky just like the Jetsons, and that would just be a big mess and waste of money. Know what I'm sayin. Fark that noise mayne.

[Pirian]

I think flying cars would be more of a luxury rather than a trend. Magnetic hovering cars is the way to go.

Wasn't something similar said about the automobile when it was first made Sure, it's a different problem, but if it was the same problem then it wouldn't be a problem.

[Ghost_Wheel22]

People have enough trouble driving on the road, what makes people think flying cars will be any better <_<

Truly the ultimate in Darwinism?

[Cyn]

Oh Vajra.

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

Holy shit Vajra that was epic please, proceed.

[Khajit]

So flying cars are bad but giving shitheads(and even add some alcohol in) cars that will be exceeding 600mph is safer?

[finalwolf]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...n/blogSpan.jpg

Superion, combine.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...c/Superion.jpg

[Silenka]

Oh jesus claustrophobia and motion sickness.
I'd rather have one of these:

Spoiler: show

http://gokayaknow.com/wp-content/upl...8/04/mehve.jpg
http://www.new-un-spacy.com/iconsofm...ehve/mehve.gif
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/...2e1b2bc957.jpg

Only problem is you're open to the elements and have less protection, but at least you can bail faster for whatever reason you would need, and oh god no claustrophobia.

[Vajra]

Look man, you can't have flying cars unless you make sure that you're able to fly above the troposphere (the atmospheric layer where weather occurs). Even planes experience turbulence and get struck by lightning, because they fly below the troposphere kay?

Magnetic hovering cars is the closest thing we'll have to flying cars, it just means they'd have to add electromagnetic objects under road pavements. Jet packs w/o protection to elements and ultra-violet radiation is a waste of time too, also going too high means reduced oxygen.

I'd also rather get in a car accident on the ground, rather than crashing into a flying car/airplane and falling to the ground only to disintegrate into vapor. At least in a ground car accident, I may have a better chance at surviving, rather than in a plane crash (which most people die from, especially if you fall from a real high altitude onto rock solid ground rather than water).

Also don't expect cities in the sky like in the Jetsons, it's all a waste of time, we'd never be able to build them because there's reduced oxygen if you go above the troposphere.

[Khajit]

Once you hit terminal velocity (after about 200 feet of falling I think) you don't technically get cant get hurt any worse so really greater heights means more time to get a parachute out and save yourself or whatever safety measures exist like perhaps via using your personal emergency jetpack. Also radar/gps to create collision alarms so you know ahead of time when to be careful or it will automatically steer you away to prevent a crash. You got alot more dimensions to swerve out the way and the onboard computers can collaborate to determine how toa viod each other faster than you can blink.