A wearable device that allows the user to lift off the water and fly while tubing behind a boat.

Wake Wings 1.0 (a simple prototype shown below) and Wake Wings 2.0 (shown above) were both designed and built during the summer of 2022.

The initial idea of Wake Wings was to achieve greater liftoff when hitting a jump while tubing behind a boat. The first design, 1.0, had a wooden frame and cloth with an area of 12 square feet that was strapped to the user's back using rope. Surprisingly, the wings worked well to give a boost of air when jumping which can be seen in the video. However, the test model quickly broke in half. The unexpected success of Wake Wings 1.0 led to the creation of Wake Wings 2.0.

With a new vision in mind later in the summer, the goal of Wake Wings 2.0 was to lift the user completely off of the water for an extended period of time and achieve flight. A simplified free body diagram led to the conclusion that with a boat traveling 30 mph and the wings tilted upward at 45 degrees, the wing area would need to be about 40 square feet in order to lift 230 pounds off the water, taking into account the weight of the user and inflatable tube. Wake Wings 2.0 was then constructed using 1.5" PVC pipe and large tarps and measures 4 feet by 10 feet. Another upgrade was using backpack straps that could be easily removed because it was found that it is difficult to swim while wearing the wings. In its initial test, Wake Wings 2.0 did achieve lift off at around 30 mph, but the flight only lasted about a second before the testing was called off as the system was highly unstable and began rocking side to side uncontrollably. Fortunately, even after traveling at 30 mph for over 10 seconds, no one was injured and the wings remain intact. Ideas for the future of Wake Wings include a full body harness for comfort and a vertical tail wing to stabilize the system, to be built if I find the courage to test them out again.