What’s cooler than a flying human being? A flying Pterodactyl. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. Human beings can’t fly and Pterodactyls don’t exist (anymore). But the video above shows what looks like flying humans soaring over New York City.
The flight was actually a stunt to get awareness for a forthcoming movie called Chronicle about humans who can fly. As we all know, humans can fly in the movies quite easily. But the human being shaped remote-controlled airplanes certainly caused some surprise when seen in real life (IRL).
How fun is this? The marketing team behind the movie Chronicle built three RC planes in the shape of human beings and flew them around New York City to create the illusion of superheroes zooming around iconic landmarks. Say what you will about this being a viral marketing ploy, I would much rather watch this than a 60-second trailer on TV. Well done. And also, I want one. [Colossal]
But this reminded me of a World Magazine article I read, and re-read, back in 1986 about a remote-controlled, flying, flapping scale model of a pterosaur. Unfortunately, I no longer have my collection of World Magazines. And it’s not available online. But I did find this article which was transcribed for the web from a 1986 R/C Modeler Magazine.
The fully articulated flapping wing replica is the largest ornithopter to ever fly successfully and was created by Aero Vironment, Inc., under the direction of noted aviation pioneer Dr. Paul MacCready. The creature has an 18-foot wingspan, weighs 44 pounds, and is controlled by a complex onboard autopilot system under the command of a ground based operator using a model airplane radio control system. [rcmplans.com]
I loved World Magazine when I was a kid. I guess Nat Geo changed the format over to their National Geographic Kids Magazine which you can subscribe to for $15. I’ll definitely give it a try. Hopefully it’ll show my son things that he’ll still remember and and will spark his imagination 30 years from now.
Flying is a dream that many of us earthbound humans share. We jump out of airplanes, we build planes and helicopters and gliders to feel the thrill of flight. But seeing dinosaurs walk the Earth and soar above it is also a dream most of us share. I can’t decide which is cooler. Seeing humans fly or seeing dinosaurs fly…
Sources:
-M
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