h a l f b a k e r yExpensive, difficult, slightly dangerous, not particularly effective... I'm on a roll.
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There are a number of "extreme" sports; skiing, mountain biking, croquet, ironing.
We propose adding commuting to the list.
Extreme commuters start their journey by climbin into a carbon fibre replica of a Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1 ) pilotless drone. This is launched by steam catapult. On reaching the
destination, the nose cone detaches and the commuter free falls, deploying a steerable parachute wby pulling the ripcord with the right hand while clutching their notebook computer bag firmly in their left hand.
The drone, now empty of fuel, deploys a parachute and drifts gently down onto a conveneient open space. The commuter steers themselves in the direction they want to go; immediately on landing, they fold their chute, unpack a folding titanium-framed microbike from their backpack, and race off to their place of work.
Fieseler Fi 103
http://en.wikipedia...iki/V-1_flying_bomb
Crude but effective [8th of 7, May 10 2008]
A certain halfbaker taking off for the weekend.
http://www.youtube....e_E&feature=related
[Amos Kito, May 10 2008]
TridentAir
TridentAir
Shameless self-promotion. [wagster, May 10 2008]
Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg ...
http://en.m.wikiped..._103R_(Reichenberg)
... in which it was expected that the pilot would be killed, or at best, parachute down ... [baconbrain, Aug 28 2014]
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I'm in (+), but I want to hear a little more details on the ejection from the rocket. How fast will I be going when the nose cone separates? This reminds me slightly of the pods from "Starship Troopers" which I really liked. |
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// How fast will I be going // |
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How fast do you want to go ? |
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Were V1s particularly controllable? I foresee little connection between how fast you want to go, and the speed (or, possibly, direction) you're likely to achieve. [+] |
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//and race off to their place of work// without stopping since every police officer within 20 miles will be proceeding quite quickly to wherever they've landed: pulse-jets are LOUD!!! |
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ummm... how you gonna get home ? |
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<Dull factoid, according to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford> At the height of their production, the Fi103 cost less to build than a Volkswagen (albeit with slave labour) </dfattiwmad> |
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Just watch out for hungry leapords deploying from fiberglass V2s... |
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Gravity's Rainbow, anyone? |
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See, calum, when this idea first hit the main page I was trying to come up with a clever Gravity's Rainbow anno, and I've yet to do so. |
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A screaming commute across the sky...? |
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Something about a Mercedes-Enzian?
Which will win here, sloth or entropy?
Geli Tripping across the sky?
The favoured transport of Nelson Mandala? |
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You're right, it's *hard* to go clever GR annos. |
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An additional component of this idea is to include Extreme Shaving, where, as the male commuter parachutes down, they shave their stubble with foam and an old fashioned cut-throat razor. |
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Suggestions for similar activities for female commuters are awaited with some interest. Please note that ideas in very poor taste may be deleted, unless excessively amusing. |
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I suggest that women not commute at all. Instead, they should be home, waiting with my dinner prepared and my slippers warmed. |
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[Noexit], just for the record, do you desire internment or cremation ? |
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[pertinax] No, I think locked-up without charge sounds about right. |
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Instead of stepping, suave and clean-shaven from your replica V1, wouldn't you be more likely to trickle from it as a sort of halfbaker soup, having been crushed by the massive take-off accelaration? |
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//having been crushed by the massive take-off accelaration?// |
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Steam catapults were widely used on aircraft carriers. The accelerations are not harmful. |
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If only this were cheaper, or I had more money than I could use. |
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[8th of 7] if you're burning or burying either the slippers or the dinner, all bets are off. |
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"They Died With Their Carpet Slippers On".... |
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No, somehow it doesn't quite work. |
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You could go the same route Thomas Pynchon went, and just type whatever comes into your head, rather than trying to come up with a clever reference. |
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// Fi103 ... cheaper than a Volkswagen // |
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Probably considerably cheaper - the V1 is basically just a flying torpedo and the engine is an empty pipe with a valve at one end. |
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"This is 8ths idea." click "Yup!" |
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Do I know my fellow halfbakers or what? [+] |
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I'm kinda curious as to the buzz-bomb's vibrational acceleration as well. |
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Well, I was within earshot when some folks fired up a small pulse-jet
engine, only a foot or so long. It was so incredibly frakking loud that I
had to go see what was the source of all that racket. I did not go
within a hundred meters until it was shut off, and when I saw, I still
couldn't believe it had made all that sound. |
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I thought V-1s were supposed to up-end and crash down into their
targets. And what's this sissy stuff about helmet and goggles? |
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//V1 is basically just a flying torpedo and the engine is an empty pipe with a valve at one end. |
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// And what's this sissy stuff about helmet
and goggles? // |
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More for the look of the thing than anything
… a Stahlhelm, and a pair of British dust
goggles, like Rommel used to wear. |
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