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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Evan Hughes <ehughes@****.carleton.ca>
Subject: Re: Wings
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 96 21:43:23 EDT
Why bother having any conscious control of the wings at all? Why not
just have some simple flight interface (like trying to fly wherever your
head is pointing, or somesuch crap) and let a computer do all the thinking?


Evan Hughes | Webmaster
Honours Computer Science | Carleton Computer Science Society
http://chat.carleton.ca/~ehughes | http://omega.scs.carleton.ca/~ccss
.. code code code eat code code code code code sleep code code code code ..
Message no. 2
From: "Kevin Prier" <PRIER@*******.uoregon.edu>
Subject: Re: Wings
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 21:34:29 PDT
The more I think about these wings, the less useful they seem. The
only way I can figure to coordinate them effectively is to link them
with the arms. Overriding leg input would make steering and landing
almost impossible (the 1/3 body weight I mentioned before was
counting the wings with the upper body, without wings, the legs are
closer to half total body weight). Also, the sheer SIZE of the
things would be ridiculous, excluding radical bone hollowing, etc.
A couple examples from other 'flying' mammals:

Flying Squirrel:
Wing span (right-left): ~1.2 body length (excluding tail)
Wing length (anterior-posterior): ~one torso length (front legs
to hind legs)
Glide ratio: About 6:1 (6 ft. horizontal per 1 ft. vert. drop)

Bat:
Wing span: ~2 body lengths (excl. tail)
Wing length: ~one torso length

So these suckers would be at LEAST 8 ft. wide unfolded and 4-5 ft.
leading edge to trailing edge, and that's just for gliding. If they
are going to give any lift, they will be at least 12 ft. wide!!
Concealability? -12

As cool as the idea is, I just don't think it can work. Sorry, but
that's my verdict.

Kevin
Message no. 3
From: mneideng@****.caltech.edu (Mark L. Neidengard)
Subject: Re: Wings
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 22:15:24 -0700 (PDT)
According to Evan Hughes:
>
>just have some simple flight interface (like trying to fly wherever your
>head is pointing, or somesuch crap) and let a computer do all the thinking?

That computer has to figure out the aerodynamic properties of your body.
Not precisely a simple problem...
--
/!\/!ark /!\!eidengard, CS Major, VLSI. http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~mneideng
"Fairy of sleep, controller of illusions" Operator/Jack-of-all-Trades, CACR
"Control the person for my own purpose." "Don't mess with the Dark
Elves!"
-Pirotess, _Record_of_Lodoss_War_ Shadowrunner and Anime Addict

Further Reading

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