Its a madness, but a functional one: skydiving from 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) and landing safely wearing a flying squirrel costume instead of a parachute.
It's pretty much considered impossible,"said Maria a designer with jet wing design in Cape Town,South Africa.Wingsuits have fabric flying membranes between the arms and legs that enable skydivers to change direction in freefall.
Changing the angle of the rigid "wings," the diver can turn, dive, or rocket forward.
But the suit do not confer a safe landing without the help of a parachute.
"In terms of downward speed, we're actually within the margin of safety there for landing," von Egidy said.
"But of course the forward speeds are tremendous."
A naked human thrown from high altitude falls to Earth at a maximum speed of about 120 miles (190 kilometers) an hour.
“A wingsuit doubles a person's surface area, slowing the descent rate to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) an hour, about the same as with a small parachute,” von Egidy said.
But the wingsuit divers also descend forward, due to the gliding action of their wings, at speeds of 75 to 90 miles (120 to 150 km) an hour, that's why for now a parachute is needed to slow down during landing.
Some divers experiment a landing without parachute, like landing gears.
But Von Egidy's concept is to design a forward brake at the right moment.
"We're trying to flare the suit without using landing gear [but] with aerodynamics," she said.
Ironically, Von Egidy's never probed the suit, relying in experienced skydivers around the world to test the suits.
In a few months, a new prototype will be checked.
"The preliminary ground tests are very positive. Everybody who knows what I'm doing believes in it. It's just a damn good idea that no one spotted." said von Egidy.
(w)
