lurch

Current absolute limits, unusual circumstances: 4:05 in a stock S-6, 22,000-2000 3:46 from 15.9-2500, heavily modified S-6, More reasonable altitudes and the numbers I usually state when asked are 3:39, 14.9-3000, mod S-6, 3:29, stock S-6 a couple years ago, 13.5-2000-ish and got called up on the deck and chewed out by the DZO for it. Arriving directly over manifest still trailing just a pilot chute at under 2k wasn't my brightest moment. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Last major event it was fire... I vote this time we see if we can get Taco to mow Mike's name in the field with the tractor. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

WTF, not like its a long drive for me or anything. 1. Purple Mike 2. Lurch Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

The shop vac is for sucking spilled beer and safety pins out of the carpet. Minimum infrastructural requirements for manufacturing a wearable aircraft in your living room. That, and a CD player and some lights, a fridge and cooking junk. The blue stuff is a mix of the light zero-p and that megasturdy parapack duck fabric paragear sells, that and a shitload of binding tape. Most of the spiral windings are spectra. The thighs, most of the front tailskin, top tailskin and lower center panel are ZP, the legsleeves, bootie/tail interface, lower top tailskin and tail/jacket interface panels are duck. The moccasin booties are spectra and leather. The jacket has a long and disreputable history since I got it off this weird indian guy at a flea market in what used to be a department store in some franchise ghetto plaza in Nashua 13 years ago. That history includes being the only jacket in history to have slimed a police officer in the line of duty, used to be used as body armor for paintball, sword practice, combat mountain biking, snowboarding and auto repair in harsh environments and has been heavily reinforced with nichrome wire and now spectra. It was once described by Tom Noonan as "So tough it could beat people up by itself" which led to it being dubbed the Dire Ninja Attack Jacket and thrown at people who annoy me. You haven't lived till you've walloped a friend over the head with a leather jacket full of junk, tools and packs of M&M's as a form of greeting. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Ok. Let the speculation begin. The pics suck. Sue me. Obviously its incomplete. All the shit still hanging off it everywhere is scaffolding. Whatever else happens, I was the first to build one of these. There may be others insane enough to imitate it, but there is only one original Hardcase. And here it is. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Actually I haven't, I kind of felt like I should have been, but up till recently the thing looked awful, scraps and absent panels and tangles of spectra as structural placeholders till I could build the more elegant fastener mounts, zipper attachments and that sort of thing. I figured I'd start some photosets after I have at least something like an armwing hung and it actually looks like a wingsuit. Neat thing is, I'll cut all 4 skins, top and bottom both sides at once, so once I get going and have the layout and pieces cut, assembly'll be fast, go from wingless to fully winged in one go. I'm thinking a few more days till theres something like a final wingshape, few more decisions to make about the attachments first, which probably means 2 weeks in reality. I've learned to expect every bit of this to be far trickier than I thought when I get to it. The flipside is I keep getting neat geometry coincidences, things I hadn't planned out yet where simple solutions to complex lineup problems suggest themselves just from the way the stuff lines up when I assemble the parts I HAVE planned. A lot of that tail I had no idea how I was going to do it till I actually tried to by pinning chunks of fabric together. The entire bottom half of the tail topskin and 3 of 5 tail cells were made at once, out of a single square piece of fabric with no cuts, hemmed on all 4 sides. When I tried figuring out how to build legcells I mucked about for days thinking about making little tubes and tacking em together, horrible brute force approach to making that shape would have been tough as hell and worked poorly, everything I tried to make sucked donkey balls. Finally occurred to me a single square, japanese fanfolded just the right way creates a 3 cell wedge shaped wing with a perfect taper, all it needs is a frontskin. I'd already built that. After that it was just like assembling a cellphone, only with a lot more thread. If I can find a solution that elegant for the armwings this thing is going to be badass. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Thanks... I've been working on it at a high intensity to get it done before the ADD kicks in and I lose interest or get distracted by something shiny. So far its been 4-7 hours a day for 3 weeks straight, toughest project I've ever taken on by a long shot. Theres parts of this thing that I thought would take a couple hours that took days. Hanging the tail topskin and creating the cells and tapering wing trailing edge in 3D was much, much harder than expected. Persistence has paid off though because the bottom half and tail are done, complete and ready to fly, and the upper half isn't all that far behind now, all thats left is the armwings and some structural detailing, nailing down loose ends and such. If the armwings prove as tough as the tail was I figure I'm 2 weeks away from first flight, 3 if I give it extra time for unexpected difficulties and some serious inspection and bug hunting. Even after I declare the whole thing done I'm probably going to wait another week or two for on-ground troubleshooting and going over it 50 times looking for hidden boobytraps and potential cascade failure points. Finishing that tail after 3 weeks of relentless effort was one of the most intensely satisfying moments of my life though, sat there drinking beer and doing the happydance for quite awhile. If thats what I get just for finishing half of it I can't wait till the whole thing is done, be bouncing off the walls about it for days when I get there. Pics coming soon, its just about to be worth taking pictures of at this point. I've got the grippers cut and shaped, and all but one dimension of the wings laid out, currently building the arm/body attachments, soon as the zipper anchors are in place I can begin hanging the panels. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

So long, Charlie. Gonna miss you, man. God I hate losing friends. DZ feels emptier now. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

You gotta be kidding me. After the insane exoskeletal shit I was flying last season this looks downright timid. The more successful armwing extension mods I was willing to fly in public weren't the half of it. Last year about midsummer I had an 18 inch lexan and ZP megatail to go with em making for a wingsuit over 7 feet long with the combo assembly. It wasn't exactly what I'd call all that flyable really but technically speaking it DID work since I survived flying it and nothing broke. It delivered the insane speeds expected but at the cost of stability and an incredibly bumpy ride whenever it wasn't being flown at absolute max... which with a wing that massive I could only do for a few seconds at a whack. This time I'm dialing it down a bit and going for something closer to a homemade S-6 with a few tweaks, I figure as bad as I could butcher the handling of this suit couldn't be any worse than riding that lexan monster down from 14 so all I have to do is make it snagproof and failure resistant, an issue I'm addressing with a certain industrial overkill approach involving building it 5x tougher than it needs to be, everywhere, just for the fuck of it, the description of which immediately earned me the run-on sentence of the year award, twice. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Still workin it. Suits about 75, 80% done not counting a bunch of small fit and trim details that're bound to come up as it goes. Still needs one last tail panel to divide it into cells, one connector panel at the waist and a bit more than half of both armwings. Got arm and tail releases done today which rocked because it felt a lot more complete... I can put it on and do zip and unzip routines and its all there. Eventually ditched a couple of the more exotic release ideas and went with the old zippers and snaps in the usual places layout, most of the cooler bits are in the suit and wing structures anyway. Damn thing still looks like the result of a harley getting it on with a sub-70's crossbraced elliptical. Even if it turns out to fly like shit, it'll still look awesome hanging on my wall. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Awesome link Yuri, I think my old black Cats boots would go good with this, or possibly a light hiking shoe, want to stay away from the "sporty" themed shoes, they'd clash horribly with the industrial machine look. Might just order a some of that shirts or fabric Diablo just pointed me to... maybe I CAN build some of it out of diamond plate, sorta... -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

ooo, Rough crowd. Jeff, just remember next flock we put up, I've got a burble and I know how to use it. Now, the toaster cozies, on the other hand, might make an excellent BASE PC pouch... -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Well, its official. A new suit has seen the light of day and I'm starting to think I might actually complete the damn thing. Finally took it from concept stage to reality. I'm not going for another super-xl-ultra-megamach step here... This is something completely new designed from the ground up with about 30 new ideas that haven't been used in a wingsuit yet. I call it the Hardcase. Its the first industrial grade wingsuit and it bears about the same resemblance to existing designs as a jeep does a ferrari. Theres enough of it in existence to put it on and paddle around the dz in it, I figure its still at least a few weeks away from airworthy though. Parts list includes Late 60's hard leather biker jacket. Nichrome and steel wire. Lexan. A leather welding apron. ZP fabric. Carbon fiber. Heavy cordura. Stainless steel. Spectra. And a bunch of scraps from last season's wingsuit modification experiments. So far reactions from those who've seen the early prototype have ranged from "holy shit" and "Damn thats cool" to "You're fucking insane" "Is that for real" and "you're gonna die." I can't believe how much I'm looking forward to flying this thing.

Major, major respect for the man. Wish the likes of Jackson and Sharpton could be replaced by a few more leaders like him. Live long, Dr. Cosby. Your people need you. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I'd second that... I fly an old Jav NJ with a 135 stuffed in it. No mods whatsoever, 28" PC, 9 foot bridle. Packed grommet up and pitched in full flight it isn't an issue. I used to get random linetwists till I figured out to use tiny line bites and a good 4 feet of unstowed line coiled on the bottom of the rig to make sure nothing asymmetrical plucked at the Dbag until it was already moving fast. Haven't had line twists since last August. Never did the corners mod because I never saw a need for it. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Student suit: GTI. Daily driver for the last few years: Slightly shredded S-6. Comfy, lightweight and still delivers pure joy when you lay it flat stretch it out and punch it at 5. Good general purpose utility suit. It isn't the best for any particular purpose, theres better suits for specific applications like acros or vamps but it does everything very well, still can hang with the megasuits but can do some acro and hangtime and flock flying in it with equal ease. I'm hesitant to buy another suit simply because I keep thinking that I'm not likely to like my next suit as much as I like this one. "Old school, and loving it." -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I should know better than to take you on in an argument, but what the hell, this is one of your weaker ones anyway mostly because some of your points address things I didn't say. Strawman? I never said anything about -not- taking responsibility for actions. My problem is with a state of affairs in which the word "caught" is being applied to the normal, everyday behavior of the majority of highway users... at least enough of a majority that the 65 mph cars are the slowest on the road. I see this as a manifestation of authentic democracy, a true will of the majority collective decision. I don't worry about being "caught" because I'm not doing anything caughtworthy. I choose not to be the fastest thing on the road. Not even close. I usually choose what I think is a speed comfortably below the nearest statie's "trigger threshold". I have noticed that they do seem to be pretty fair about that... you actually have to be hauling ass fast enough to pose a hazard to surrounding traffic to get their attention. If I chose to run around at 85-95+ all the time, I'd be choosing to have a very high probability of a ticket. My problem isn't even with the exact value of the speed limit... its the use of the "no excuse" argument to justify a particular misuse of the legal system and to say "you don't have a leg to stand on" when someone objects to that misuse. "No excuse" isn't literally true. He -does- have an excuse, His excuse would be "well, hell, the flow of traffic has been 78 mph, wtf is the problem?" or something like it. "No excuse" is used to communicate the idea "tough shit, you had it coming because thats the letter of the law" and to formally refuse to recognize the fact of "flow of traffic." Taken literally with its core meaning it says "that behavior is inexcusable". I don't think many people would consider running with the flow of traffic at 76 in a 65 zone in a wide open interstate to be "inexcusable" behavior. But that argument says it is. I guess the best way of getting the point across would be to ask you to extrapolate a little. That argument is used as an absolute, doesn't matter what the value is that is being defended, it is a value statement that says "you were in the wrong and should accept punishment for it." So just how far out there would you have to set the speed limit before you no longer felt the "you have no excuse its the law" argument applies? 55? 50? 35? The lower you set it the more ludicrous the argument becomes. a 20 mile long chunk of commuter traffic doing 78 aren't "being speeders, refusing responsibility ignoring the consequences and flaunting the law" they're just going to work or whatever. "You have no excuse" would apply to some asshole doing 105 in dense traffic. I doubt the harshest judge would think it applies to all those commuters. Which is why I have a problem with that line being used against people bitching cause they're pissed about being harvested for cash by municipalities using things like those cameras as little money factories. That is not what the law is for. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

I often delete my posts quickly, 9 out of 10 times I decide its better unsaid, but you answered it so I'll put it back and stand behind it this time just to clarify the attitude. I'm the guy in the fast lane getting passed every couple minutes because I know I could go 90 but I don't feel like pushing it. Its the fact that running around averaging just barely sub-80 is a low ticket risk. The standard has shifted. I'm always hearing old stories about getting nailed for 5 over but the reality I see these days out on route 3 is that a car going as slow as the speed limit stands out like a snail and creates far more of a risk than the guy doing 75-85 just like everyone else. And by the rules all of it is speeding. Squeak quoted what may be the most annoying excuse for selective enforcement I so often hear people use to justify what amounts to unwarranted legal aggression. "Theres no excuse you broke the law?" The linked logic to this is, to be consistent with that as your argument, everyone going above 65 deserves ticketing and should be ticketed. I'd love to see the state actually try to do that. That would be unreasonable. We have smooth fast safe highways... with the rules set up so most people are breaking them much of the time. People would take the rules a lot more seriously if they made more sense. Bit by bit the legal system matures... lot of places, 75, 80 now is the limit. It did not become magically safer when the state declared it ok to do now. It always had been. The law simply became fairer and more reasonable. And Bill... I always look before exit. Always. I teach wingsuit. With that role comes a responsibility to manage risks for others who may not know the territory. Its my job not to miss the hidden hazard or make a bad judgement call. I take that responsibility very, very seriously. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

"If you dontr want a speeding ticket, here's a thought. DONT SPEED, there are no excuses for it." No offense man, but that is so much bullshit. I'd invite you to come try to drive the speed limit in the left lane anywhere on the interstate highway within 200 miles of where I live. The signs say 65. The slow lane usually ranges 65-78, the fast lane minimum I see routinely is 75+, and at 75 you'll have a line of angry cars behind you, flashing their lights, honking and pulling around you to pass. My average cruise on my way to anywhere in particular is 75-90, averaging about 83-85 and thats without overtaking with any particular frequency, while being passed fairly regularly by people whose comfy cruise risk tolerance is a little faster than my own. Last year I tested this double standard by pacing a New Hampshire state police motorcycle for about 5 miles or so. He was either behind me or beside me the whole time. We were doing 78-82. He found nothing out of line with me doing 80, because he ignored me. No excuse, my ass. Even the cops themselves acknowledge the defacto american autobahn by tolerating it when the entire traffic collective behaves as if the signs all said 85. To me the unwritten rule is, break 90, start looking over your shoulder. I can live with that...haven't got a ticket in 6 years. Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

"If you dontr want a speeding ticket, here's a thought. DONT SPEED, there are no excuses for it." No offense man, but that is so much bullshit. I'd invite you to come try to drive the speed limit in the left lane anywhere on the interstate highway within 200 miles of where I live. The signs say 65. The slow lane usually ranges 65-78, the fast lane minimum I see routinely is 75+, and at 75 you'll have a line of angry cars behind you, flashing their lights, honking and pulling around you to pass. My average cruise on my way to anywhere in particular is 75-90, averaging about 83-85 and thats without overtaking with any particular frequency, while being passed fairly regularly by people whose comfy cruise risk tolerance is a little faster than my own. Last year I tested this double standard by pacing a New Hampshire state police motorcycle for about 5 miles or so. He was either behind me or beside me the whole time. We were doing 78-82. He found nothing out of line with me doing 80, because he ignored me. No excuse, my ass. Even the cops themselves acknowledge the defacto american autobahn by tolerating it when the entire traffic collective behaves as if the signs all said 85. To me the unwritten rule is, break 90, start looking over your shoulder. I can live with that...haven't got a ticket in 6 years. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Really? I can't remember the last time you set yourself on fire or went bumperdragging down the runway for our amusement, but I'll be expecting a demonstration as soon as practical. I'll even do video... never let it be said I wasn't willing to help a brother out, you know... So how'd the event go, anyway? Last event I attended Stoney busted his nose landing a wingsuit, you guys must be hard pressed to top that, but I trust you all put forth your best efforts. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

A couple other bits that might help: You have to stay head-low for this to be useful, otherwise you'll stall instead: if you cup your arms enough to provoke side to side potato chipping, then back off just enough to stop the wobbling, keeping your knees locked, toes pointed and head below your shoulders it ought to get you in the neighborhood. The idea is catching as much air as your muscles can stand without slowing down your forward speed any. Some of your lowered fallrate comes from drag...air resistance alone, the force you'd feel in a 50-90 mph wind with your wings wide open standing on the ground. The other lift comes from being a wingy shaped gliding object. Maximizing both at the same time is the sweet spot. You're blocking as much air as possible from below and forcing as much of it as possible to push you forward. Too far head down, you sacrifice "kite" action and fallrate goes up, too head-high and although you have loads of braking action holding you up, you're stalling and sacrificed your glidey lift...and your fallrate goes up. I got a friend who is just over 210 lb who pulled about 2:30 in my old GTI when he found its sweet spot. The suit was visibly flying like a highly loaded canopy, theres a certain taut abruptness about the way it moved that made the sweet spot very visible when the suit was flown in it... and his average fallrate went from high 70's and low 80's to mid-low 50's and stayed there. For a smallwing suit like a GTI thats amazing. It was something to see. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Ok that makes sense, for a second I thought Matt had done a high speed jump-up wingslam and actually -cleared- the tail and I hadn't heard about it. So far as I know, nobody...not even Perry...is that insane. Had me worried for a minute there, Matt. Don't do that or I'll have Nick lick your camera lens and you will never get the protein byproducts out of the threads. Bang? -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Damn, you're quick. (hangs head in shame) Guilty. I'll consider myself smacked. Again. But in my own defense not one of you laughing-ass nerf herders thought to bug me about my dismal failure to report in. You're still packing a crackberry right? Send me a memo next time... -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

Oh you got THAT right amigo... Puffies....MMMMmmmm..... Ain't nothing like scoping your exit and having a puffy farm as far as the eye can see with half a dozen 10,000 foot tall bright white towers within range to choose from. All those canyons slopes caves and valleys to surf. Given a choice between a fine wine and a nicely defined crispy white surfable puffy, I'll take the puffy any day. You can get wine whenever. Perfect puffies however, are a delicacy, and no two are the same, and you never know whats going to come drifting over the horizon. Difference is, thats a sweet -Spot-, which tends to encourage soloists to find the Sweet spot. And when you got it, theres only one thing to do. Surf. The. Puffies. ...and bring a phone. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.