Why Can't Humans Fly With Their Hands? - | How Things Fly

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Why can't humans fly with their hands?

A:

Human hands do not function like birds’ wings. In order to fly, we would need to overcome our own weight by producing an upward force called lift. Birds are lightweight, and their complex wing design helps them produce lift. Scientists have been inspired by birds for centuries. One of the first designs for human flight was an ornithopter. Human-sized ornithopters have proved unsuccessful because of their weight. Even adding wings to our bodies won’t help us overcome gravity, so we’ll have to continue flying among birds instead of trying to fly like them.

Ask an Explainer Posted on September 22, 2013 at 6:21 am Categories: Forces of Flight Check out other Questions and Answers

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