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Welcome to Flying
Contraptions!
We will be attempting to bring links and news items regarding
the weird, unusual, and up and coming flying contraptions!
We are working hard to aquire relevant content, so please
be patient with us. Our goal is to match the integrity
and style that was part of the original site.
Rocket Belt
The Rocket Belt, also
popularly called the Jet Pack, Jet Flying Belt, Jet Belt,
and Jet Vest, is a small personal propulsion device strapped
to the back of an individual that enables a man to use
low-power rocket propulsion to rapidly but safely travel
or leap over short distances like small rivers or ravines
and land upright on his feet. During the early 1960's
the U.S. military seriously studied these devices as potential
aids to combat soldiers especially in tight tactical situations.
However, the 20 + second duration of the rocket fuel required
for the belt was found to be too short-lived for the device
to be practical and the idea was abandoned.
How Rocket Packs Work
Rocket packs contain three substances that
make up a chemical reaction that produces thrust:
• Hydrogen-peroxide propellant
• High-pressure nitrogen gas
• Samarium-nitrate-coated silver (which acts as a
catalyst)
Two metal tanks mounted on the rocket pack are filled
with a total of about 6 gallons (23 liters) of hydrogen-peroxide
propellant. When the operator opens the throttle, the
high-pressure nitrogen gas is released, forcing the hydrogen
peroxide into a catalyst chamber. Once inside the catalyst
chamber, the hydrogen peroxide reacts with the silver
material, which turns the hydrogen peroxide into a high-pressure,
superheated steam that measures 1,370 degrees Fahrenheit
(743 degrees Celsius).
The steam shoots out through two bent tubes that run from
the top of the tank down the side, just behind the operator's
arms. The tubes are wrapped in insulation so that no heat
is lost. Because of the heat, the operator must wear a
heat-resistant suit to prevent burns. Water and vapor
exiting from the two nozzles at the end of the exhaust
tubes produce more than 300 pounds of thrust, which is
more than enough to propel a person into the air for a
short rocket flight.
Rocket packs are unlikely to become commercially
marketed products due to their drawbacks. While they have
been tested at speeds of over 100 mph (161 kph), they
lack the agility displayed by Millennium Jet's XFV. Also,
a rocket pack uses up its 6 gallons of fuel in just 30
seconds of flight, whereas the XFV can travel for more
than three hours on 10 gallons of gasoline. No company
is currently working on a rocket-pack design, and the
RB 2000 has not been tested since 1995 due to legal battles
among its designers.
Williams Wasp (X-Jet)
The WASP (Williams Aerial
Survey Platform) had a jet engine on the bottom; a single
occupant essentially stood on the fuel tank. Williams
International, in Walled Lake, Michigan, makes little
fanjet engines for cruise missiles, which were ideal for
one-man jet belts. Bell worked with them on a jet belt
with 7-minute endurance, which first flew on 7 April 1969.
Later Williams developed the WASP, later renamed the "X-JET",
which looked like a pilot standing in a garbage can. The
600-pound turbofan was mounted in front of the pilot,
and the WASP could stay airborne for 30 minutes, reach
speeds of 60 mph, and land in a four-square-foot area.
It is unknown where the project stands today. It was a
contract with the Army Tank Automotive Command. NOTE:
If anyone can contribute information regarding the status
of the Williams Wasp (X-Jet), please e-mail us.
We Should Have Flying Cars by
Now!
That seems to be the consensus from a recent poll.
Back in the 1960's, it seemed like a foregone conclusion.
But mankind seems to underestimate the amount of time
it takes to evolve technologically in some areas, while
accelerating at light speed in others. Imagine if the
Romans had invented the battery or lightbulb, as was
almost the case!
Know of a Great Flying Contraption Site?
We're on the lookout for quality
site to which we will link for the benefit of our
visitors. Please use some of the links to the left
to get more information about these weird and wonderful
devices! Please see the links page to see how to put
a link on this website.
FEATURE ARTICLES
<The following was reprinted
with permission from the article directory Telladoc>
Location
Management
To the keen observer, activity
on any film set can seem to be ranging from being
abject boredom to absolute chaos. But before there
can even be a film set outside of the studio, a
location
scout must first find the suitable site, and,
if a seperate person, submit the site to the location
manager to negotiate all the contractual, logistical,
and governmental issues required to make the site
work.
In the Hollywood and Los Angeles
areas, there are some 400 location
managers, most of whom also do most of the location
scouting as well. To assist them in their search
for the perfect location, most rely on many sources.
More experienced ones will have an extensive location
database, gathered from their years of experiences.
Location
libraries and location
agencies are extremely valuable resources. Although
many newbie scouts tend to see these entities as
being in competition with them, or that using them
somehow will belittle them in the eyes of their
superiors, most experienced scouts understand and
appreciate their value.
Film commissions are another
invaluable resource available to location
scouts.
<click here
to read the rest of this article>
ScreenFreaks
Video Sharing
ScreenFreaks.com
is a novel new video
sharing website that has nearly all of the functionalty
of YouTube,
but with more tolerance to subject matter. For instance,
there is an 'adults-only'
section; a 'gore'
category (both of which restrict access to persons
over 18 years of age), and the ever popular 'political
rant' section. However, emphasis will be placed
on episodic video productions ('webisodes')
and artistic expression. ScreenFreaks is both non-denominational
and apolitical, and will accept most videos
from the left-wing fringe, the right-wing fringe,
and everything in between.
<click here
to read the rest of the article>.
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