A one-person blimp
July 1, 2024 11:02 AM Subscribe
The Aéroplume is a one-person blimp, minimum-sized, that enables you to fly by flapping wings. €70 for 30 minutes. You can fly it in a hangar, or in a cave. Tom Scott takes flight.
Okay so why do they keep trying to make flying cars when they could make personal blimps?
posted by constraint at 11:24 AM on July 1 [3 favorites]
posted by constraint at 11:24 AM on July 1 [3 favorites]
That's so cool!
Too bad the balloons are so big and cumbersome... maybe if they found some denser material that was lighter than air...
posted by ropeladder at 11:26 AM on July 1 [2 favorites]
Too bad the balloons are so big and cumbersome... maybe if they found some denser material that was lighter than air...
posted by ropeladder at 11:26 AM on July 1 [2 favorites]
if you'd prefer the old-fashioned way/would like to travel with friends, you can take a ride in a zeppelin [cycling lake constance]
posted by HearHere at 11:26 AM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by HearHere at 11:26 AM on July 1 [1 favorite]
Too bad the balloons are so big and cumbersome... maybe if they found some denser material that was lighter than air...
Oh, the human! Just, you know, the one . . . human.
posted by The Bellman at 11:31 AM on July 1 [4 favorites]
Oh, the human! Just, you know, the one . . . human.
posted by The Bellman at 11:31 AM on July 1 [4 favorites]
This is really going to change the remake of Blade Runner.
posted by y2karl at 12:08 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by y2karl at 12:08 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
Heliumpunk.
posted by porpoise at 12:21 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by porpoise at 12:21 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
I love how you row it just like a rowboat.
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:14 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:14 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
If you're looking for a business opportunity, the Astrodome in Houston is currently unused.
Is it the largest unused, enclosed space in the US? If not, it's probably close.
posted by Hatashran at 1:49 PM on July 1 [4 favorites]
Is it the largest unused, enclosed space in the US? If not, it's probably close.
posted by Hatashran at 1:49 PM on July 1 [4 favorites]
This just makes me miss Tom Scott dropping vids on the regular.
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:54 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:54 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
This is the best news I've seen all week!
posted by From Bklyn at 2:16 PM on July 1
posted by From Bklyn at 2:16 PM on July 1
I tore my rotator cuffs just watching him paddle that thing.
posted by jimfl at 3:35 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by jimfl at 3:35 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
want to fly so bad, so badly, but why, if the wind is still, cannot take a turn outside around Mont-Saint-Michel
posted by sammyo at 4:00 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 4:00 PM on July 1 [1 favorite]
Today's rabbit hole dug up this WWII blimp-like personnel-delivery protocol:
Flying without any navigation equipment other than a map and compass, Lysanders would land on short strips of land, such as fields, marked out by four or five torches. Or to avoid having to land, the agent, wearing a special padded suit, stepped off at very low altitude and rolled to a stop on the field. [the Lysander a stalling speed of only 65 mph (56 kn; 105 km/h).]
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:03 PM on July 1
Flying without any navigation equipment other than a map and compass, Lysanders would land on short strips of land, such as fields, marked out by four or five torches. Or to avoid having to land, the agent, wearing a special padded suit, stepped off at very low altitude and rolled to a stop on the field. [the Lysander a stalling speed of only 65 mph (56 kn; 105 km/h).]
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:03 PM on July 1
The short promotional video on their website is very pleasant with the accompanying music.
posted by fairmettle at 5:47 AM on July 2
posted by fairmettle at 5:47 AM on July 2
This is close to what I imagined decades ago reading The Menace From Earth by (yes I know) Heinlein - flying around in a cave! With wings! On the Moon!
The wikipedia article includes a link to the short story
posted by ElGuapo at 1:08 PM on July 2
The wikipedia article includes a link to the short story
posted by ElGuapo at 1:08 PM on July 2
I don't think this would be very hard to implement for oneself.
posted by neuron at 2:39 PM on July 4
posted by neuron at 2:39 PM on July 4
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posted by BrotherCaine at 11:07 AM on July 1