I have a friend that I keep telling (jokingly) that I will someday build an NXT project that can fly. Of course, that person insists it is impossible. But what if it was possible? I never stated that I was going to use only LEGO pieces, nor how long it would stay in the air after liftoff. But would it really be flying then? *looking up the definition of flying on dictionary.google.com* So the definition according to Google is:
Moving or able to move through the air with wings. With wings?? As far as I know, when you throw a frisbee it is
flying through the air... and frisbees don't have wings... Anyway, I think in order for it count as flying, it would need to be able to maintain flight for any amount of time you want it to.
When I heard that there was a flying Mindstorms robot at LEGOWorld, I got super excited. It flew more like a blimp (read more
here), and didn't use only LEGO pieces (unless LEGO sells giant balloons that I didn't know about). But you could control its flight path! I think it qualifies as a flying NXT, even though it wasn't quite what I had in mind. :)
Next, my search for flying NXTs took me to the LEGO Message Boards. I remember seeing a thread about this exact topic, and I was excited to open it again and see what other users were thinking. I'm not going to write much about it, when you can easily
read for yourself, but it seemed like there were a lot of different reactions. Some users were ready to take up the challenge, others simply wanted to see it done. Some users were absolutely sure it would never work, others were offering MLN (My LEGO Network) clicks as a reward if anyone did it.
What do
I think about making something completely made of LEGOs fly? To tell you the truth, until LEGO starts selling balloons, it is probably impossible. :) I don't even think a motor can lift its own weight, let alone part of the Intelligent Brick's weight!
