Back casting - Human flight in the past

Considering that jetpacks and base-jumping are considered fairly new phenomenon by most, researching into their origins it is amazing seeing how far the jetpack in particular dates, with very little progress made in terms of making it into a fully fledged mode of transport!

A marvellous example of a jetpack in use in mainstream media was the movie 007:Thunderball, where Sean Connery uses a Jetpack to escape the clutches gunmen. If James Bond using a jetpack doesn't make it 'cool' and relevant, I don't know what will!

The top cell of this poster shows 007's jetpack in action, as a selling point! - (Thunderball, 1965)

Sean Connery wearing the 007 Jetpack during filming - (Thunderball, 1965)

The jetpack used is actually a Bell Rocket belt (the earlier name for a jetpack), which I discovered whilst reading up on the 007 sequence.

The Bell Rocket belt is, insofar as I can gather, the original Jetpack, from which nearly all others have been based on to this day.

One of the original patent diagrams, filed June 10, 1960! - (U.S Patent Office, 1960)

I wonder how different this technology could be had the original rocket belt been made differently. Would we be further advanced than we are now? Would we even need cars or would we be sailing through the skies with our own not-quite-rocket-belts?

Looking into the act of human flight in entertainment, I started looking at human cannonballs, seeing the modern performers on Youtube made me look into their origins, finding this:

The 14-year-old human cannonball, a young girl called Zazel (real name Rossa Matilda Richter), who was launched by Farini-designed contraption. The perceived danger of these acts caused protests and put the venue's licence in doubt but continued to drew crowds.

- (Shadyoldlady.com, 2011)

A human cannonball's trajectory caught on film - (Daily Mail, 2007)

It's nice to know that even in 1877 the possibility someone might get splattered drew crowds (thrill seeking without the danger). Perhaps acts like this started the daredevil fascination that still exists today. (using popular examples like Evil Kineval, movie stuntmen adding to a film's appeal, and so on).

Even in ancient history, human flight features in myth, with the story of Icarus flying to close to the sun, melting the wax that was holding his wings together and causing him to plunge to his death. (Perhaps an ancient way of saying humans were not meant to fly?).

Mourning for Icarus - (Herbert James Draper, 1898)

As much of a flight of fancy as it may be in my opinion (humans do not have the necessary shape of arm strength to fly like a bird), I think it acts as a wonderful demonstration of one of the earliest recorded dreams of flight by a human. It would be incredible to hear the reaction of an ancient Greek to seeing an aeroplane, or any airborn vehicle we have today.

When browsing google results I came across the same question time and time again, The Jetsons- Where are our Jetpacks?! Looking into what the Jetsons were I found them to be one of the early family sitcom cartoons (The predecessors of TV shows such as the Simpsons and Family Guy). The Jetsons was first aired in 1962, and frequently features flight technology - something that people seem to have associated with the future ever since, particularly in science fiction (As seen in movies such as Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Star Trek and so on).

The Jetsons- (Hanna and Barbera, 1962)

Something that I personally have always found fascinating are the designs by Leanardo daVinci for his own flying machine. He had a fascination with flight, believing that man would one day achieve it (he was right!) I would love to try and design something as intricate and outlandish as some of his original designs, which at the time must have seemed even more peculiar!

daVinci's designs for a bat wing based flight machine - (Leanardo da Vinci 1485)

 

The 'corkscrew' flight machine, which some believe to be the predecessor to the helicopter - (Leanardo da Vinci 1485)

My personal favourite is the corkscrew design, which is theorised to have been a study on propulsion rather than a practical design (Perhaps I can adapt this method of working to create my own designs?). 

It may also be worth noting that the top flying machine is strapped to your back - in a time before engines or any kind of contained propulsion, you could consider this the first jetpack!

 The following information was included with the pictures above:

About 1485 he drew detailed plans for a human-powered ornithopter (a wing-flapping device intended to fly). There is no evidence that he actually attempted to build such a device, although the image he presented was a powerful one. The notion of a human-powered mechanical flight device, patterned after birds or bats, recurred again and again over the next four centuries.

(C.Gray 1998-2003)

Indeed, the designs have been referenced in the modern day for game mechanics and designs for modern inventions such as the parachute and the hand-glider, I have included a screenshot of the use of one of his devices below.

Using daVinci's flying machine in Assassin's Creed 2 - (Ubisoft 2009)

It's amazing that we see much of this the technology I have talked about as futuristic, when it's roots go as far back as the 15th Century!

State of the Art analysis - Human flight in the present day.

To begin my research I have created a mood board to identify consistent visual themes of my topic.

 

Human flight mood board - Various sources

 From looking at my mood board I see several consistent visual themes. Attempts at human flight range from emulating nature to glide with 'wing suits', to developing and using jet-packs to physically lift the user off of the ground.

The shapes and sizes of flying device have a huge range of variation, and colour takes a lesser precedence to form (as without the form, there is no flight).

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When gathering the images for my mood board,  a consistent recurring theme is the sport of base jumping, and the people who have taken that one step further by trying to develop a means to actually fly rather than simply glide (or - in the words of Buzz Lightyear 'Fall with syle' - Buzz will feature later in the blog!)

With this observation in mind, I will start my research with base jumping. 

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 The first thing I am greeted with on the official Base Jumping community site BASEjumper.com is:

BASE Jumping

BASE jumping is a highly dangerous sport that can easily injure and kill participants. Think long and hard before making a BASE jump. We do not recommend BASE jumping to anybody. You, and you alone, are responsible for your safety.

Always seek proper training and mentoring before attempting any sort of BASE jumping. Wherever you jump; take only pictures, leave only footprints.

(Basejumper.com 2011)

...which gives me some idea of the dangers involved with the sport, relevant because the idea of humans trying to fly at all is fraught with danger (falling from great height towards solid ground isn't good for your health). These kind of adrenaline-seeking sports are popular with certain crowds of people, and are known as extreme sports.

New base jumping video is like Superheros flying in slow motion - Trinidad, E

Extreme sports such as base jumping and skydiving are growing in popularity after the media coverage provided by television shows such as Modern Marvels and The men who jump of buildings.
Despite heavily emphasising the illegality of alot of the base jumping activities, and the amount of danger involved, people are still drawn the the thrill factor of the sport and similar activities, especially with the growing media coverage.

Rather than looking at just base jumping, however, I'd like to focus on how people have developed it's basic idea and tried to translate it into more genuine flight.

The next step up that I can identify are wing suits, full body suits that give people a way of gliding remarkably similar to a flying squirrel. Currently these suits are being used in the world of base jumping and skydiving for competitions all over the world

 

A wing suit in action - Squidoo.com 2011

 While looking into wingsuits I also stumbled across this:

APACHE FLIES UP! OLIVER GAINS ALTITUDE IN HIS WINGSUIT

Oliver Furrer managed to climb briefly in his Apache during the Gransee event, although much talked about this is the FIRST time a "climb" has been recorded in a controlled environment.

(Tonywingsuits.com 2011)

If this is possible with a non-powered suit, perhaps with some development it would be possible to fly using a suit with no means of propulsion! - an innovation of the future? 

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In the world of comic books, flying humans and humanoids feature all the time, whether by means of a jet pack or suit, or as a natural (or unnatural) ability. Some good examples of the characters that are popular and relevant today are Storm from the X-Men, Iron Man (particularly relevant as he is a very much in the spotlight, as well as using equipment that could in theory become real), and Nathan Patrelli from the TV series Heroes.

Storm in flight - (Marvel 2010)

Iron man in flight - (The invincible iron man volume 5, 2010)

Nathan in flight - ( Heroeswiki.com 2010)

Storm's method of flight, although very unlikely is not entirely out of question, with scientists working on new technology to control the weather. according to this article:

• Technology created 50 rainstorms in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain region last year

For centuries people living in the Middle East have dreamed of turning the sandy desert into land fit for growing crops with fresh water on tap.

Now that holy grail is a step closer after scientists employed by the ruler of Abu Dhabi claim to have generated a series of downpours.

Fifty rainstorms were created last year in the state's eastern Al Ain region using technology designed to control the weather.

 (Dailymail, 2011)

weather ioniser diagram - (Daily Mail 2011)

Although a long shot from the personal manipulation of your own air thermals to fly with, it is a start, and who knows where this technology could lead us?

 Nathan Patrelli and his ability is very much flights of fancy, as he is born with the ability to naturally fly.

Iron Man, however, is very much a plausible creation. Maybe not in the next five years, but at some point in the future. Perhaps this adds to the charm of the character, and adds to the popularity of the recent movies of the Iron Man franchise. My next direction is to look at manufactured methods of human flight.

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Continuing on the theme of powered flight, there are a number of innovations in the markets of entertainment and leisure, and experimental innovations underway.

Researching into this, I have found information concerning Jet Packstoys.

Steamboy, Space Marine, LittleBig Planet and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

A Jetpack on the cover of the Steamboy soundtrack - (Domocast.tv 2005)

The Jetpack power-up from Littlebigplanet 2 - (Littlebigplanet 2011)

Buzz Lighyear using a Jetpack - (Pixar, 2000)

 In reality, jet packs have had little practical use on earth as gravity and the suitability of the human body for flight are very limiting factors, and as such the most effective jet packs have been used in space by astronauts for out-of-craft operation.

Astronaut Bruce McCandless, free floating in orbit with a nitrogen jetpack- (NASA, 1984)

There are companies, however, that are challenging themselves to make viable Jetpacks for commercial, military or even social use. This upcoming technology is currently at the point where use and operation is very limited, though this can only improve!

A banner from the site proclaiming it's jetpack's success! - (Jetpack international 2011)

The above jetpack is the most current and realistic example of human flight I have been able to find. It will be interesting to see what ideas I can develop from them after some research into the origins of the topic!

On a side note, I also happened upon a little known Indy band called The Human Flight Committee, although unrelated to the actual topic I thought it was interesting to see my topic crop up in the music industry, even if only by name!

promotional poster featuring the band - (The Human Flight Committee, 2008)

Statement of chosen themes.

My chosen themes to research are human flight and guitars. It is by researching into these topics that I will create my unique or unexplored IP opportunity.

My research will be divided into six sections:

State of the Art analysis - My topics in the last 5 years: How my topic is relevant in the modern day, examples of my topics on the modern market and how they demonstrate popularity in modern culture.

Back casting - The past: Examples of how my topics were significant in the past, relating to the examples I have provided in the modern day. My findings will be listed separately for each topic.

Horizon Scanning - What's emerging in the next 6-12 months - Recent developments that are happening or about to happen here and now in the modern day. These oncoming changes should demonstrate how my topic is changing and influence my research for the next section.

Forecast - The future in the next 2-5 years - A realistic forecast of changes that may occur to my topics in the near future, with evidence provided in my previous research.

IP Justification - Conclusion - A relatively short section that includes my IP opportunity Statement - The culmination of all of my research combined that is my unique and well researched basis for a saleable idea that is viable in the modern market, with evidence referenced from my previous sections.

Bibliography - An alphabetical list of my sources of information in the Harvard referencing format.

Words in GREEN are my personal discussion of the topics.

Words in RED are emphasis of a particular point that is either relevant or an important point.