Memorial Day

"$kaycog" (skaycog) 05/25/2015 at 14:49 • Filed to: None

3

14

Test Flight

A soldier flies a De Lackner Aerocycle in Fort Eustis, Virginia, in 1956. The Army never adopted these machines for combat because test pilots deemed them unsafe.

CB > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 14:56

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I’m curious as to what point in the development decided that someone realized that they were unsafe.

Wait, you said pilots?

... who thought this was a good idea in the first place?

Blondude > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 14:57

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What could possibly be unsafe about standing on a platform hovering thousands of feet in the air with a giant spinning blade under you?

CB > Blondude 05/25/2015 at 14:59

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Probably the same people who thought putting machine gunner seats in front of the propellers of First World War aircraft was a good idea.

$kaycog > CB 05/25/2015 at 15:01

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I wonder the same thing.

TheHondaBro > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 15:02

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That? Unsafe? Pshhh.

$kaycog > Blondude 05/25/2015 at 15:03

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No kidding. Unsafe? Duh.

$kaycog > TheHondaBro 05/25/2015 at 15:04

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Yeah, who knew?

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 15:04

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Wait, so the pilots flew these?

$kaycog > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/25/2015 at 15:05

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Possibly?

Cé hé sin > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 15:07

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How many ways could this kill you?

- you could just crash

- you could lose your footing and be sliced up into bite sized chunks by the rotor

- you could be burnt to death by an engine failure while you stand on the tank

$kaycog > Cé hé sin 05/25/2015 at 15:08

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Easy target for the enemy.

Cé hé sin > $kaycog 05/25/2015 at 15:09

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Nah, they’d be too busy laughing.

$kaycog > Cé hé sin 05/25/2015 at 15:12

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Good point!

$kaycog > Blondude 05/25/2015 at 15:27

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Here we go.