Da Vinci's parachute flies
The parachute was launched from a hot air balloon
By BBC News Online's Dr Damian Carrington
Leonardo Da Vinci was proved right on Monday, over 500 years after he
sketched the design for the first parachute.
A British man, Adrian Nicholas, dropped from a hot air balloon 3,000 metres
(10,000 feet) above the ground, after ignoring expert advice that the canvas
and wood contraption would not fly.
Attempts to fully test the parachute in the UK earlier this year failed due
problems of wind and safety near populated areas - it weighs a hefty 85
kilograms (187 pounds).
But in the wide open spaces of Mpumalanga, South Africa, Mr Nicholas safely
floated down, saying the ride was smoother than with modern parachutes.
Heathcliff O'Malley, who photographed the drop from a helicopter, told BBC
News Online: "It was amazing, really beautiful. But none of us knew if it
would fold up and Adrian would plummet to Earth."
He added: "It works, and everyone thought it wouldn't."
Mr Nicholas cut himself free when he reached 600m (2,000 ft) and deployed a
second modern parachute.
This ensured the heavy device did not crash down on top of him on landing.
The parachute's great weight was due to the use of materials that would have
been available in medieval Milan, rather than modern fabrics. Period tools
were also used.
The original design was scribbled by Da Vinci in a notebook in 1483. An
accompanying note read: "If a man is provided with a length of gummed linen
cloth with a length of 12 yards on each side and 12 yards high, he can jump
from any great height whatsoever without injury."
Mr Nicholas said he thought Da Vinci would have been pleased, even if the
vindication of his idea came five centuries late.
From-http://www.levymultimedia.com/July/0708parachute.htm
_808246_chute_sketch.ZIP
