Flying wingsuit have been an obsession we have had as humans for centuries. In recent decades we have finally seen them come true with interesting proposals such as the Jetman or the Flyboard Air. BMW has taken the next step: a flying suit with an electric motor.
The wingsuit is an extreme sport in which a suit that offers resistance to the air as the wings is descended from a considerable height. The problem with this flying suit is that there is no propulsion whatsoever beyond that given by gravity. Austrian specialist Peter Salzmann in collaboration with BMW has presented his alternative. It is a flying suit that incorporates an electric motor in the pilot’s chest.
Flying Wingsuit: An extra boost (and electric)
The initial idea they had was to place the motor in the back as a backpack. However, they found that there are many more advantages to placing it in the front of the chest for added momentum .
The system consists of two 13-centimeter-diameter propellers that rotate at 25,000 rpm . It offers on / off buttons, acceleration and a slight steering control (although in the end it all depends on the movement of the limbs). All driven by a BMW electric motor with 15 kW of power. It is not much when compared to other electric motors, although enough to propel a person in the air.
While a non-powered flying wingsuit can reach speeds of around 100 km / h, with this new powered suit Peter Salzmann has achieved speeds of more than 300 km / h . But beyond the speed, the interesting thing about this suit is that it allows you to gain altitude again with the thrusters, instead of simply descending.
After dozens of tests, the Austrian and BMW have decided to show what their new suit is capable of. In the Austrian Alps and from a height of about 3,000 meters he launched himself with the new suit accompanied by other athletes who did so with traditional suits. In the video we can see how the three of them launch and descend in formation … until Peter Salzmann’s suit activates and separates considerably from the others even rising again in height.
It is going to be complex that we see something like this for sale as traditional flying costumes are sold. This in the end is a demonstration by BMW to demonstrate what its electric motors are capable of. However, it is an interesting alternative to other flying suits such as the Jetman. It achieves less propulsion but is instead much cheaper and quieter.
Via | Electrek
