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How big would a pair of wings have to be in order to allow a human to fly? And how often would they have to flap?

While I'm sure personal human flight is much easier through fixed wings and some sort of rocket or jet propellant, however, these are not nearly as cool as a nice set of wings like a bird. I know humans are much bigger and heavier than any flying species of bird and are therefore not naturally built for flight at all. But surely this isn't beyond the capabilites of humans?
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  • Asked by TET879
  • on 2010-02-10 17:00:00
  • Member status
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Categories: Unanswered.

Tags: human, bird, flight, wings.

 

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 Nick-Randall says:

This isn't an answer, but what if humans had the air sac-filled bones of the flying birds? would it be feasible then? Or would we have to lose our arms to make space for the flight muscles, or perhaps reduce our musculature elsewhere on our bodies to save weight?

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Tags: human, bird, flight, wings.

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posted on 2010-04-05 16:06:01 | Report abuse

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 cricketjeff says:

The question is, in fact, very easy to answer because it's been done. Both the Gossamer Albatross and the Gossamer Condor had wingspans of around 30 meters and allowed for sustained human powered flight. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Condor).

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posted on 2010-04-26 09:28:02 | Report abuse

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 browpaj says:

This is a very interesting topic and I'm glad you brought it up. The wingspand would have to be around 15 or 17M (55.76ft). This would mean a pair of 28ft wings, which doesnt seem impossible, but genetic engeneering is a topic for another day. Just look at Maximum Ride By James Patterson.

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posted on 2011-07-25 21:31:33 | Report abuse

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