Science Past | FROM THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 13, 1960

SCIENTISTS CALCULATE HOW MAN MAY FLY LIKE BIRD — Man may some day be able to fly by flapping a set of artificial wings, two Chilean scientists assert…. A 154-pound man equipped with 66 pounds of flight accessories would need wings about 10 feet long with a flight surface of 60 square feet. To maintain a speed of 45 to 50 miles per hour, he should flap his wings 35 times a minute or a little faster than once every two seconds. The up-and-down speed of the wing tip should be 15 to 20 miles per hour or about 10 feet per second….The man would be working about as hard as if he walked up 30 steps a minute. Under the right conditions, a man would be able to keep up this pace for from five to 30 minutes.