# Red Bull Flugtag and a Human-Powered Aircraft

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2007, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683 "2007-02-18T06:00:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683/1 "2007-02-18T06:00:16Z")

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[This wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-powered_aircraft) states that there are about 100 human-powered aircraft in the world today.

Simply put, could one of those enter the Red Bull Flugtag? Seems to be a pretty easy victory to me, even though it violates the spirit of the competition (which, as far as I can tell, is to fall spectacularly into the water).

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683/2 "2007-02-18T08:21:36Z")

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Here’s the application for the Red Bull Flugtag USA: [PDF File.](http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/uploads/assets-events/45/DLApplicationNashville07.pdf)

Note the three criteria:  
(1) Human Powered  
(2) Less than 30 feet wide  
(3) No more than 450 lbs

Judging Criteria:  
(1) Distance  
(2) Creativity  
(3) Showmanship

So I’d say the answer is that a human-powered flying machine that works and in existence - assuming it is less than 30 feet wide and no more than 450 lbs would be admissible. But it probably wouldn’t get selected to compete - because there’s no way it could win on creativity and showmanship.

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**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683/3 "2007-02-18T15:06:21Z")

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All the functional human-powered aircraft have giant wingspans. 98’ for the Gossamer Albatross, 111’ for the MIT Daedalus, etc. So I’m afraid they’d be out of the running.

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-bull-flugtag-and-a-human-powered-aircraft/392683/4 "2007-02-18T15:09:42Z")

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A parachute is almost large enough to get eliminated!

The criteria seem intended to make it a farce, not a challenge.

Tris