people who died with their own invention

Beyond the Thunderdome.

When I was growing up, I always wanted to have a cool name. I even tried going by the name “Panther-Strike” for a while, but it didn’t really catch on. So when I heard about “Mad Mike Hughes,” I was a bit curious as to how the name came to be. You see, “Mad Mike” was once a limo driver, but now he moonlights as a “flat-earth conspiracy theorist” and “daredevil.” You know, he’s called “Mad” because he was “mad.”

He wanted to take several rocket journeys into space to photograph it as “a flat disk,” but since he didn’t have the money to do it himself, he turned to crowdfunding. The total amount he raised was $7,875. That doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but it was enough to build a safe rocket, right?

However, not satisfied with his first flight, Mike decided to try again in February 2020. This time, things didn’t go as planned. According to witnesses at the scene, the rocket bumped into the launch apparatus just before takeoff. Once in the air, the landing parachute was torn off the craft. With no way to land safely, Mad Mike’s wild flight ended in a pile of smoldering debris on the ground. What’s worse is that a camera crew was there to film the incident for a television show.

I still can’t believe this crazy astronaut built a working rocket for as little as seven thousand dollars. I’m surprised he didn’t just strap it to the outside.

Then he'd really have gone out with a bang.

Seriously though, the homemade rocket

was actually pretty impressive despite the tragedy.

NASA could have given him a job.

That is if NASA is even real.

No, they are real.

Stop that.

Super Soarer.

You are mistaken if you think this video

only features aspirational high-flyers, wrong.

Some of these ill-fated inventors were actual high-flyers.

Take aeronautical innovator Otto Lilienthal.

You may have heard about the Wright brothers, who flew the first man-made motor-powered aircraft in 1903. But they wouldn’t have been the brothers they are today without our boy Otto’s contributions. You see, Otto the pilot was the one who first came up with the concept of heavier than air flight. By curving the upper part of the wing, Lilienthal creates a region of low pressure above the wing compared to the high pressure below it, which creates an upward force known as lift. This became one of the most important elements of his glider designs.

Following his initial triumph in 1891, he proceeded to carry out numerous additional flights. Nonetheless, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Lilienthal's gliders were meticulously crafted to ensure weight distribution was evenly spread, thereby maintaining stability. Control over the glider could be achieved by adjusting one's body position to shift the center of gravity. However, in the event that the glider angled downwards, the process of recovering from that particular position proved to be quite challenging.

After a series of triumphant test flights, during which Lilienthal effortlessly glided through the air for an astounding distance of 820 feet, he decided to embark on one final flight. Tragically, this would prove to be his final endeavor in the world of aviation. Lilienthal's glider abruptly tilted forward, hurtling into a rapid descent that exceeded his ability to regain control. From an altitude of approximately 50 feet, he ultimately met with a devastating crash. Although the incident did not result in immediate fatality, it did cause a fracture in his cervical vertebrae. Following the occurrence, he was promptly transported to the hospital. Around 36 hours following the tragic crash, Lilienthal tragically succumbed to his injuries. Truly, he was an exceptional hero. Next time you find yourself on the runway, take a moment to acknowledge the immense contributions and sacrifices made by individuals like him, without whom your vacation plans might never have come to fruition. Let us take a moment to remember Otto Lilienthal, the influential figure often referred to as the godfather of aviation.