(off-topic?) Working replica of Nausicäa's Mehve

[ziritrion]

(Hey, 3rd topic in 2 days, not bad )

Have you read/seen the "Nausicäa" manga/anime by Hayao Miyazaki? If you haven't, then do, because you're missing something very good .

I think this has been mentioned before here in the Dojo (a long time ago, I'm too lazy to look for the topic), but anyway, there are a bunch of Japanese guys who have succesfully built a 1/2 scale model of the personal glider (Mehve or Möwe, "seagull" in German) that Nausicäa uses in the story. Here's the project's web page (in Japanese). You can download a video here (file size 8.6 MB, you'll need Quicktime). Now, they want to build a full-scale model and test it with a human pilot (they were using RC to test it). If they finally manage to make it stable and light enough, cosplay would reach a whole new level .

Also, Space Usagi used a Mehve-like aircraft in its first story .

I wish I had one...

[takematsu]

I repeat also my previous reactions:
1) COOL!
2) YIPE!

It reminds me of the old newsreel footage one sees of earnest inventors explaining the aerodynamic principles behind the slabs of plywood they've lashed to their arms, as the climb out onto the openwork of a tall bridge....