Evel Knievel failed to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in 1974, when the parachute on his steam-powered rocket Skycycle X-2 deployed too early and halted the attempt in mid-flight. Yesterday a fan of his proved he could have done it. Fox News reports:
Professional stuntman Eddie Braun successfully jumped over the Snake River Canyon Friday afternoon in an ode to his boyhood idol, Evel Knievel.
Braun soared over the southern Idaho canyon in a custom-built rocket dubbed "Evel Spirit."
It launched off a steep ramp on the edge of the canyon rim just before 4 p.m. as hundreds of onlookers watched.
The rocket reached an estimated 400 mph before its parachute deployed, allowing Braun and the ship to land safely in fields on the other side of the 1,400 foot-wide canyon.
. . .
Braun has said the rocket was identical to the model Knievel used for his failed canyon attempt on Sept. 8, 1974. Knievel landed at the bottom of the canyon when his parachute prematurely deployed partway across the canyon, but walked away with only minor injuries. The spot where Knievel jumped was 1,600 feet wide.
Braun hoped his effort would prove that Knievel could have made it across the canyon if his parachute had deployed at the correct time.
There's more at the link. Here's video of the jump.
Well done, that man! Somewhere up there, I suspect the shade of Evel Knievel is smiling.
Peter
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