Joel Orr's World

Special forces take wing
Wearing carbon-fiber monowings, paratroopers could glide 120 miles before landing.

Elite special forces landing behind enemy lines could someday ditch traditional parachutes in favor of strap-on "stealth" wings. Lightweight carbon-fiber monowings could let troops jump from high altitudes and glide 120 miles or more before landing, thus allowing transport aircraft to avoid detection.

The technology was first demonstrated three years ago when Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner "flew" across the English Channel. He leaped out of an aircraft 30,000 ft above Dover, landing safely near Calais 12 min later. Wearing an aerodynamic suit and a 6-ft-wide wing strapped to his back, he soared across the Channel at 220 mph, moving 6 ft horizontally for every foot he fell vertically. He opened his parachute 1,000 ft above the ground.

MachineDesign.com: Special forces take wing.