Are TL4 'Rocket-Pack's Possible?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by scc

Personally I figure that someone with access to bamboo and a lot of silk might be able to make a working glider, those materials are noticeably lighter the wood and cloth that they would normally have been made out of.

The problem isn't weight. The problem is that the aerodynamic knowledge required doesn't exist at TL 4, and for that matter the math required to make use of the aerodynamic knowledge also doesn't exist.

[scc]

Trial and error development.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by scc

Trial and error development.

Coming up with an aerofoil via trial and errors is not actually impossible, evolution managed it a few times, but the amount required is very large (even if you start at TL 4, it probably won't still be TL 4 when you finish).

[David Johansen]

The "Measurement" spell can accurately measure curves, the volume and surface area of a sphere and many other things.

Anyhow, I think you'd have a gunpowder reservoir with a valve resembling a baker's sifter. The rate at which the sifter is cranked would increase or reduce the volume of powder dropping into the firing chamber. As one would expect there would be a chamber between the fuel and firing chamber that can be sealed from both ends to prevent back blasts. You'd get a stuttering and jerky ride of course.

[scc]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Coming up with an aerofoil via trial and errors is not actually impossible, evolution managed it a few times, but the amount required is very large (even if you start at TL 4, it probably won't still be TL 4 when you finish).

The Aborignal Boomerang is an airfoil that was developed at TL 0, and Fantasy-Tech 1 has real world development beginning at TL 3

[Tinman]

To the OP: There was a whole article in Pyramid.
#3-39 p.25-29 that talks about this. It also has some aircraft based on it.
I highly recommend it. An excellent article.

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by scc

The Aborignal Boomerang is an airfoil that was developed at TL 0, and Fantasy-Tech 1 has real world development beginning at TL 3

Australian aborigines might not have had metal but many aspects of their society were not TL0. It is likely that a practical returning boomerang took many centuries of trial and error to develop. The final design should be assigned TL3, not TL0.

[Phil Masters]

The problem with trial and error in early aircraft development is dead test pilots. Who are, at low TLs, frequently the people whose bright idea this was.

It was bad enough at TL6. At TL4? Lots of dead monks and mandarins. Not many aircraft.

[scc]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

The problem with trial and error in early aircraft development is dead test pilots. Who are, at low TLs, frequently the people whose bright idea this was.

It was bad enough at TL6. At TL4? Lots of dead monks and mandarins. Not many aircraft.

People are a renewable resource, and how many people participate in birdman contests these days?

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by scc

People are a renewable resource, and how many people participate in birdman contests these days?

The people who act as test pilots are the ones who conceived of the idea and developed the machine. These people are definitely not a renewable resource. At lower Tech Levels you'd be lucky to get one every generation.

The birdman competition is hardly a valid comparison. A more accurate comparison would be the urban legends about people bolting JATO rockets onto their cars.