Later on, we started working out the wings. We didn't just want a puny little set like raver's wings, nor did we want something that was attached to the sleeves. We wanted real wings, ones that flapped and opened. Here is a model that we built out of popsicle sticks and push-pins. The real thing was to be made mostly of delrin.

Alas, it was not to be. The model worked well enough, but when we tried to build the real thing, we found that human shoulders do not produce enough leverage to open or flap the wings. Still, with a model that unfolded correctly, we were encouraged, sure that it was possible if we could find a power source.

Here are the drawings for the Wing Pack Mk. 1. Very simple, but the core idea is clear. For reference, the blue lines were going to be straight rods, the red dots are swivel points, and the green line was going to be some sort of elastic.

Closed

If you look closely, the elastic is parallel to one of the rods here. Two rods, actually. The elastic is at maximum pull here, but due to how the rods are arranged, it can't act; it's just pulling down the length of the rods. A tiny kick outwards at the joint in the middle, though, would allow the elasic to contract. We're rigging some straps to do exactly that. An inch or so should to the job, so it's going to go across the chest to look like the wings open naturally.

Halfway Open

There's not much to say here. This is mostly a bridge between the other two pictures. You can see it unfolding nicely, though.

Fully Open

And here are the wings, fully opened. The real wings will have a ten or twelve foot wingspan -- we're not sure exacty. The elastic is at minimum pull here, but the weight of the wing cloth will drag it down against anything the elastic can give. With the right elasicity, it'll balance fairly high. They'll be reset in the closed position by pulling on some straps that will likely end up coming out under the armpits.