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My main OC, I was thinking, could have some sort of jet pack/ propulsion device to be able to fly etc. But having recently read some articles about the barriers and the obstacles preventing humans from developing 'jet packs' (My preferred way of flight) I struggled to decide on how to best adapt humans for flight
(as this was the main problem in this article.)

At first I had the obvious thought of making a sort of bird/human hybrid/chimera as they would be best suited to flight. But I don't want the trope of 'chimeras' or 'hybrids' in my story, so instead I want to play it off as the main character being genetically modified etc. To have certain advantages that make them more adapted to aerodynamics.

Question What characteristics/ genetics/ phenotypes could humans have to make them better suited to aerodynamics? (keeping in mind that my story is high fantasy/ sci-fi, so there are little to no boundaries.) And no chimeras or humans 'mixed' with birds, but having hollow bones would be a suitable answer for example.)

a4android
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  • To be honest, I searched against this popular question and picked the closest match as a duplicate. Searching the site is your friend! – JBH Jan 27 '19 at 22:02
  • We have flight suits that allow people to fly like flying squirrels, coast down high points. That combined with jet packs allows a sort of flight. – cde Jan 27 '19 at 22:34
  • I could fly more easily if my femurs were slightly shorter. Oh, that's not what you meant? – Anton Sherwood Jan 28 '19 at 00:01
  • If the humans have this flight through external means - which I think would make this question not a duplicate - then I would think that most of the adaptations that we would get through evolution would be mostly mental or proprioception changes. The various physical changes wouldn't be necessary, because they could also be achieved or made unnecessary by external means. – Ed Grimm Jan 28 '19 at 05:25
  • Basically, things like resistance or better handling of dizziness, an improved sense of where we are in space. Maybe their heads would adapt to being tilted upwards more, or they could develop some additional senses that would help them navigate better. For example, some birds have built in compasses. Improved spacial reasoning as well. – Ed Grimm Jan 28 '19 at 05:30
  • The brutal truth is irrespective of the biological technology employed the bodies of human beings would have been to be reconfigured to be something like a large eagle or vulture. They are the biggest birds on the planets. Basically turn humans into big birds. It would be easier to improve personal flight technology than making people into flying animals. Jetpacks, powered hang gliders, improved avionics, & flight-suits are the way to go. Faster too. – a4android Jan 28 '19 at 05:36

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