physics

Red Bull Flugtag

Red Bull Flugtag is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Red Bull Flugtag rather than just read about it. In short: Red Bull Flugtag (German pronunciation: [ˈfluːkˌtaːk], 'airshow' lit. 'flight day') is an event organized by Red Bull in which competitors attempt to fly home-made, human-powered flying machines, size-limited to around 10 metres (33 ft) and weight-limited to approximately 150 kilograms (330 lb). The flying machines are usually launched off a pier about 9 metres (30 ft) high into the sea or other body of water.

Key takeaways

Red Bull Flugtag belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Red Bull Flugtag to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Red Bull Flugtag from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Red Bull Flugtag (German pronunciation: [ˈfluːkˌtaːk], 'airshow' lit. 'flight day') is an event organized by Red Bull in which competitors attempt to fly home-made, human-powered flying machines, size-limited to around 10 metres (33 ft) and weight-limited to approximately 150 kilograms (330 lb). The flying machines are usually launched off a pier about 9 metres (30 ft) high into the sea or other body of water. Most competitors enter for the entertainment value, and the flying machines rarely fly at all.

Background The format was originally invented in Selsey, a small seaside town in the south of England under the name "Birdman Rally" in 1971. The first Red Bull Flugtag competition was held in 1992 in Vienna, Austria. It was such a success that it has been held every year since and in over 35 cities all over the world.

Anyone is eligible to compete in the Flugtag event. To participate, each team must submit an application and their contraption must meet the criteria set forth by Red Bull. The criteria vary with location. In the United States each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet (9.1 m) and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 pounds (200 kg). In Australian Flugtags the wingspan is limited to 8 metres (26 ft) and the weight (not including pilot) to 180 kilograms (400 lb). The craft must be powered by muscle, gravity, and imagination. Because the aircraft will ultimately end up in the water, it must be unsinkable and constructed entirely of environmentally friendly materials. The aircraft may not have any loose parts and advertising space is limited to 1-square-foot (930 cm2).

World records

Distance The record for the longest flight is 258 feet (78.6 m), set on September 21, 2013, at the Flugtag in Long Beach, California, by "The Chicken Whisperers" team in front of a crowd of 110,000.

Attendance The largest crowd was in Cape Town, South Africa with 220,000 attending in 2012.

Results

Teams that enter the competition are judged according to three criteria: distance, creativity, and showmanship.

International

United States

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Red Bull Flugtag

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Red Bull Flugtag claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Red Bull Flugtag before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Red Bull Flugtag ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Red Bull Flugtag

In research: Red Bull Flugtag appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Red Bull Flugtag in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Red Bull Flugtag is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aviation competitions and awards, Mechanical engineering competitions, Recurring events established in 1991, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Red Bull Flugtag outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Red Bull Flugtag in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Red Bull Flugtag means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Red Bull Flugtag out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Red Bull Flugtag in simple terms?

Why does Red Bull Flugtag matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Red Bull Flugtag?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Red Bull Flugtag.