I am constantly amazed by the artistry and raw talent that you poser artists display. I'd like to pose a challenge (pun intended, and not very original) for you.

I would like to see some poser characters flying.

What?!? Flying? Come ON... Half of the poser posts are winged women, faeries, demons and angels, right? Right. But I've only seen one or two actually FLYING.

What's this loon talking about? Well, I've got an aeronautical engineering background, and I'm a pilot. In almost all of the posted images the wings aren't in any position to do the work of flight. The artist seems to regard the posession of the wings as a license to ignore what wings are supposed to DO, which is create lift to offset gravity. Almost all of the flying poses show the flyer vertical... their wings can't do diddly in that position. Ever see a bird, an airplane, or even an insect fly for any length of time with their wings straight up and down? No? Then why should our characters be any different?

My challenge is... Show us flying characters actually doing it. Perhaps show some of the effort of flight on their faces, if they're doing anything difficult, like making a tight turn, or lifting extra weight. My challenge is for you incredibly talented people to make it look REAL.

Yours,

Bill Maness

PS. I have absolutely NO skill in Poser, or I'd give it a shot myself. I'm an engineering, MAX guy. If you need an airplane, I'm your guy... Need a faerie... Um... Talk to Turtle ;)

PPS. And the myth that winged people are inherently aerodynamically unsound? That's bull. Depending on the wing structure, and the assumptions you make for muscular weight/power ratios, people can fly just fine, thank you. Not with straight HUMAN musculature to be sure, but if you're gluing wings on in the first place, uprating some muscles ought to be easy enough ;) Lift, Thrust, Drag and Weight... May the force be with you.