We have lots of smart folks at Microsoft, but only a few of them are intrepid enough to fly in a homemade airplane. On August 21, 2010, in Long Beach, CA, marketing manager Ali Driesman will pilot the Windows Phoenix (our 75-pound flying machine) in Red Bull Flugtag. Red Bull Flugtag, which takes place this year in Long Beach, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Philadelphia, is an event where everyday people can try and emulate Leonardo da Vinci and design a flying machine. Craft are judged not only the distance flown, but creativity and showmanship as well.
The Phoenix was designed, built and will ultimately be pushed (literally) by a group of 7 fun Windows folks, including our own Ben (“Ben the PC Guy”) Rudolph.
You can read all about the project and the folks who built the Phoenix here.
Now, we need your help. Please support the Windows Phoenix Flugtag team by:
· Following the Phoenix on Facebook
· Show your support from anywhere in the world by helping us win the Flugtag Popularity Contest! Just text Team 15 to RBULL (72855) any time after 11 a.m. on Friday, August 20th
· Following Ben, me and Brandon on Twitter for up-to-the minute status of the craft, team and event.
Our fearless flyers thank you!
Round #5 of the Windows Recession Sweepstakes is now open! Leave us a comment in the next 24 hours and tell us what you think about the Phoenix.
If you like reading legal fine print, full Terms & Conditions can be found here.
Oh, notice anything interesting about the crew picture above? Here’s how we made it using Photo Fuse (and later included Ali after our original pilot, Robin, wasn’t able to pilot):
I remember going to the Flugtag here in Austin, it was crazy fun. I wish you all luck and may you rise from the ashes? haha
The Phoenix does look like something that will definitely fly (and not out and out crazy), but what I liked best was the fact that the wings are adorned with different colors :D
Did all that stuff to support you btw :) Nearly sent that text before I realized it wasn't yet friday Lol.
May you win the event with flying colors .. haha. Seriously though, good luck!
Wow, interesting contraption. I hope you guys do well!
mike@farinha.us
Thanks for the support Gaurav!
I read the full article, it looks awesome. I wish I owned one of those. Can I jump off my building and fly with Phoenix?
@Shishant
Looks like she will fly.. The name is great too.
Best of Luck
@coyotezeye
The Phoenix looks like a modern version of the Icarus Wings, with a Microsoft twist. I like the color scheme very much (it's classic Microsoft Windows colors, who wouldn't?), and the shape seems well suited for flight. It should definitely be a great run during Flugtag! Good luck, Team Microsoft!
@RichieB07
I'm not sure this will fit in at the Red Bull event. It looks like it might actually fly.
twitter: @aaronmash
Quite a job. I'm still unclear how the pilot powers this though. Good luck! I'm sure you could use it.
Best of luck. Like the wings!
Oops, forgot to leave contact info: @stellman
It's a nice simple design and you didn't fall into the "over engineering pitfalls". I have been following your guys' posts on it and can't wait to see the results. I always like these type of things like the competitions they sometimes show on Discovery. I'm always impressed with what people come up with given the constraints.
@ewrankin
The windows wings look awesome. :)
Thanks all!
@Alee - the "pushers" push the craft - there is no motor
My daughter thinks the name is the best thing ever! I like that you looked like you had a blast building it.
http://twitter.com/Mr_Je11yman
Looks really cool...and I love the colors!
Quite an impressive accomplishment! Good luck!
Twitter: @ilRadd
I agree that the Phoenix might be the odd one out in that it actually looks like it can fly and not just fall off the edge of a cliff.
@Chadwick17
The Phoenix looks cool. I love the Windows colors on the wings and the "7" in the concept art. :)
@MasterDevwi
I love the last picture on the facebook page (actually "Liked it") Call me crazy but she doesn't look scared up there, she looks hot. Twitter @greeneyebob
I hope they dominate the world record.
you know what? I'd support anything the Windows team is doing! btw, where do I get Photo Fuse?
@apham79
I like the colors! :)
- @mzzt
That's pretty cool & pretty crazy, hahaha. I'm gonna try to get to the event in Long Beach.
@Wicked_1
You guys should put this thing in next version of Flight Simulator. Good luck.
secretplace3 at hot mail dot com
Nice work, that launcher tower is quite impressive.
@ghaleon
I skimmed over the more detailed post about your Flugtag and was impressed by the thought that went into it. I especially like the CAD drawing there. Good luck all! @KC7ISD
I'd be scared to fly a machine I built myself, haha!
Twitter: @noroom2
Good Luck guys!! It Looks like you're gonna have a great time.
Ooopss...forgot
@jortega41
The Phoenix looks great with those Windows colors.
Man this is awesome! It reminds me of my childhood when I used to make paper airplanes based on books I read in the library on aircraft. GOOD LUCK guys!
Good luck again! - @blakebritton
The Phoenix looks legit. I like that you tried to make it light and small. It really looks like someting you could fly. Good luck team! Will defintely follow the updates and txt tomorow! I wonder if they would air this on TV or online?
@segadc
As someone who used to want to be an aeronautical engineer, this project sounds pretty awesome. Good luck!
@ibzrg1570
The Phoenix looks nice. It's amazing how underweight they made it. I wish them luck.
@DustynBryce
Looks cool!!! I'd love to have me one of those!!
Hey guys.. good luck at the flugtag. The phoenix looks like a winner!
Twitter: @TomRads
Looks cool! Good luck!
I like the simplicity of the design. too many flugtaggers try to make toilets fly, but yours looks like it might actually get some good distance!
Not so sure about the name of your aircraft. Don't burn it down and expect it to fly! Have fun and good luck!
@dynawing
Good luck guys. The Phoenix looks great. If the Apple team were doing this i'd imagine them wearing all turtlenecks. Glad you guys are cooler. Looking. In general.
It will fly! Best of luck! It's going to soar fast and high!
love watching flugtag coverage and all the craft built for it. good luck, the Phoenix looks great!
@coffeeshrk
Like the simple design, looks like you should do well. Best of luck!
@k4ne
Friends, it's coming time to fly. flying is good, invent fun ways of flying is simply the best. Good luck to all and bring many videos for the blog. Remember you must fly.
Good Luck
WOW
Very cool design.
Hope it goes well!
Good luck!
Looks awesome......I see you flying through the fire and ashes in that baby!
This is a neat project. I had a pilots license before I had a drivers license. Do good.
@ProperSweets
Paint a Zune logo on 'er and she'll fly alright! Hope you guys nail it!
CodeSe7en on Zune, Xbox, Twitter, Facebook.
@CodeSe7en
have fun
I love Red Bull! It's awesome to see you guys participating in the Red Bull Flugtag! Can't wait to see the Phoenix in action!
Will it fly, that's the question.
Between the Phoenix and the return of Flight Simulator ("Microsoft Flight"), things certainly seem to be soaring in Redmond!
@Cosmosis
I liked the windows colored wings and the 20' tall launch tower. Take lots of video - can't wait to see flight of the phoenix. :)
Good Luck Guys!!!
@drewh70
Awesome... Perhaps it will fly or not... either way see you on TV and it will be great advertising for windows 7... May I suggest play the Windows 7 BOOT UP sound effect when taking Flight... Good luck and Have Fun ...
@Alienator
Windows Phoenix Flugtag,
good luck with that. i don't trust anything i build. i wouldn't try it, but go ahead. just make sure you life insurance is up to date.
Will you donate it to the Museum of Flight after its maiden voyage?
why is my comment not showing up when i click post??? Windows Phoenix Flugtag
Good luck guys! Been looking for somewhere that is streaming coverage live, no obvious links so far, so I may just have to come visit in person! Here's some useful info if anyone needs the link . . . www.redbullflugtagusa.com/LongBeach2010
Best wishes, Rob
Have Fun and Good Luck!
wow cool pictures and i love the colors
@purplelover04
Good luck guys and stay safe.
Wow! Cool Idea! Good Luck!
craigfinch@gmail.com
Good Luck Guys and stay safe.
email: @w3zj.com
Very interesting!
@CaneDrew
A very interesting flying machine. How much time each week do yall put into the Phoenix? Good Luck and be Safe!!!
Phoenix, eh? Will you set it aflame before sending it aloft? @paul_d
Windows Phoenix Rocks!
Good luck guyz
Anthem001@gmail.com
Very cool, the the photo was tricky but unique as well. Good luck at Flugtag and be sure to drink lots of Red Bull...apparently it gives you wings.
Good luck with the flight.
@wheredidyou
Phoenix will rise from the ashes of da Vinci and will paint the skys of Florida with the colors of Windows.
It's THE fate!
@etabari
Good Luck and cool update on Photo Fuse.
@bdewong
goooood luck, guys!
This looks like quite the contraption. It's good to see what your employees like to do outside of work. Best of luck to your and best regards from your neighbors in Portland.
@nate_goss
Hope you guys do well. I can't imagine trying to fly one of these things, but I am sure it will be fun.
I like it! Who knows, maybe you will get the longest distance!
I have been following all of you on twitter for a while, and will definitely vote via text tomorrow. Facebook, however, is a no go. I deleted my account b/c I had had enough of their security holes and was tired of getting spammed by Farmville, Mafia Wars, etc. My only regret is that I can't follow the Phoenix on it, otherwise I am perfectly happy without it!
Maybe MS should create a social network to replace it? (hint hint!!)
twitter: @dkmccue
best of luck to you guys, the contraption looks like its heavy how much does it way,
@hebeach89
Looks like the Phoenix might actually fly. Does that disqualify you from the flugtag? ;-)
@brendan_walker
Wishing you the best of luck and great winds to take you to that winner's circle.
Hope it isn't windy friday. Rudderless might not work. greator1@hotmail.com
Where else can you get what looks like an elevator shaft with wings and Windows colors? I love it. :D
That craft is crazy light! Those people must have known what they were doing. For me I would have just duct-taped cardboard to my arms.
icuponq2[at]hotmail[dot]com
Very cool plane! Best of luck to you all!
@tcooper185
You guys did a great job. Good luck and happy flying.
i love how the plane looks, cool wings!
I love how the plane looks, cool wings! @jelwong
Hm. I think I'll wait until this thing is commercially marketed and sold before I go jumping for a prototype. Or a beta, whichever you care to call it.
captainjack1991@gmail.com
pretty wild
Push hard and fly baby!
@TacoMusic
Just read about this project. cooooooooool hope u guy's succeed , best of luck guys will be cheering u guys from India , Hyderabad
I like these kinda crazy ideas.. good luck guys...you rock!
That looks cool. The flugtag is a awesome event. Good Luck!!!
Twitter: @jpang1
I darn love the Windows colors on that. Phoenix is the perfect name too; like in Harry Potter (geeky, I know), the Windows Phonenix could be the renewed prowess of every team at Microsoft.
Best of luck,
@imalbert
I just flew back from Phoenix yesterday... what a coincidence. :)
(I'm now a "Liker" on Facebook, will follow all three of you for updates. @debralu)
Good luck on your first flight with her!
Looks good! May you fly far and true :)
I love the flugtag! It's great for laughs... some really crazy ideas. I really hope they do well. :) Good luck guys!
@notryan
That looks pretty awesome. Hope everything goes well!
@JosiahMelendez
Wow that looks like some fun stuff.
How long do you think it will be up in the air? Really cool!
Forgot my Twitter ID: melan26
Flugtag is tons of fun. The Phoenix is cool and very tall, but will it fly? I wonder how much testing is involved. Anyway, looks like fun. Consider this my formal entry in the contest.
Twitter: @jacobmgross
Twitter ID, forgot: @melan26
It is nice to see something other than software.
Next, I want to see a website of all the Microsoft employee bands. I know there has to be a bunch.
WOW, wish I could build somethin like that. Good Luck
@kngeric07
Love the Windows colors on it. Good Luck!
@migue333
Seeing the results of Photo Fuse has made me a believer in the new Windows Live. Great work guys/gals!!!
The Phoenix will always rise again! (Side note: I've seen past Flugtag's on tv and your design *will* get distance.)
Wear swim trunks.
@travney
Looks great! Good luck at Flugtag!
twitter: @vinnie1023
Wish I could be there...sounds like fun!
topdraftpick84@gmail.com
Fly Phoenix Fly!
Fly high & godspeed :)
The Wright brothers would be proud. :-) Good luck!
Cool color scheme. Good luck!
That looks like a lot of fun and hard work as you tour around the US trying emulate Leonardo da Vinci and hopefully someday ill be able to be in a competition like that too. Good luck on your journey!
Twitter: @rsmeltzer91
Is the name Phoenix just a hope? :)
@autodidact1
Red Bull + Microsoft, a match made in heaven....
Twitter: @troygates
I always wanted to build my own plane. Very talented group you have there!
Hypercool but not ready for hyperspace yet. Good luck.
Twitter @vmenu
Looks great! You may actually get somewhere in that thing... although Flugtag seems to be really just for silly people to fall into a river! ;) Good luck!
@keklar
Looks great. I myself would not be found on the thing, but wish you the best of luck!
@hall2005
em - johnohlms@gmail.com
tw - @johnohlms
Up in the air, Junior Birdman! What a grand adventure; best wishes for a long flight with a lot of updraft. @PecanPralines
Awesome! The flight of the Phoenix shall be EPIC!
@Mr_Mac121
Phoenix+Red Bull=WIN
twitter @music2video
Crash and burn... just kidding! It'll do great!
@Wesley7Allen
Phoenix is cool. I want the schwag! twitter: @realmiket
Wishing you guys luck, will be texting my vote at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 20th to show my support as well. Happy Flugtaging :D
The coolest part is that it was built for $1000, haha. I want to see this, I'm really close to Long Beach. If I don't end up going, good luck!! You guys will probably win, you have the brains and all XD
@t_rim
I think you will do well. I wish you all the best of luck!
@NHSeth
I'm excited about your chances! However, I don't believe that you didn't have time for testing! I just think you wanted to make us wait for the moment of truth. I don't blame you one bit.
twitter: @KewlGuyTexas
I think it looks pretty awesome! Good lucks guys!
@lexwhoward
Sounds like a great idea and name. Gonna go watch for it.
Hope you do well! Looks like it would be tons of fun!! Go Windows!!!
@Zak_Shambaugh
how will that fly? Well I don't know wing designs but that sure do look awesome with the Windows colors!
Very interesting stuff. I hope you guys win.. Sure like to see how far this thing goes!
@conqui25
Wow! It looks extremely cool, but I think I might not be so intrepid if I had to fly it over water! Looks like fun otherwise.
@TaoMokoda
Wow! That actually looks like it will fly, in comparison to some of the other entries I have seen.
@kenm619
Do those things flap?
@licensed_user
Da Vinci ftw!
@the_pi_man
that's awesome. To design, build, and fly an aircraft on one's own must be really, really fun. love the windows theme.
The Phoenix looks really cool! Hopefully it will fly really well and will be better than all the other aircrafts at the event!
@trhodes93
buzzn2012@yahoo.com
I do love Flugtag. Those guys got some guts. I hope they can make it farther thant he end of the ramp.
@tsrblke
I just fell of the Pheonix and boy are my arms tired. Good luck!
Very brave doing this without a proper testing. Best of luck!
@lefthandedgeek
I like it, but why does it have Google colors?
@mdriess
Wow, the Phoenix looks really impressive, I bet flying it in the Flugtag will be a ton of fun. Good luck and enjoy yourselves!
@MoodyShuffle
Those are supoused to be the colors of the Windows flag, not Google's xD
Anyway, I wish you good luck and I'll be waiting for you to upload news about it (and a video!)
Do your best!
I think the phoenix looks like a real beast! Hopefully its not just the looks =P
@YellowKidd7
*Love* the name, and the colors are wonderful! You guys rock!
@randiek1
Get 'er did! @baerwb
Project Phoenix looks super sweet. Any project like that is fun to excercise technical and skills. Looks pretty good for a couple of geeks. Good luck guys, I hope the Phoenix rises from the ashes and soars. Ill be texting tomorrow to show my support. Break a leg.
May Φοῖνιξ soar high!
@nihilmatters
The Phoenix looks awesome. Wish I could see it flying!
They completed the Flugtag in Miami last month just outside our building. Have fun and enjoy they day.
Martin Olson
@cyberwiz64
Looks pretty flippin' awesome, love flugtags! Best of luck to you guys...
-H4WKE on Twitter
very neat project!! great name!
Looks really cool; good luck!
@jscarpe
Best of luck! :-)
Looks nice
The colors looks awesome :)
WOW! MS people *MAKE* planes? Mindblowing. Hope it can actually fly? Certainly you guys tested it?
As long as the windows flying machine is as reliable as Windows 7 (no crashes) you should be good.
I really like the team picture too.
@retsamtsop
Phoenix certainly seems thematic for Windows right now -- perhaps Microsoft as a whole! Best of luck!
@ekaschyk
Love the innovative and technical design of the aircraft. Its an art piece first, airplane secondary. Windows employees never cease to amaze me!
Looks scary, but fun. You get to ride your own rollercoaster, with a no-limits track.
I like the design but I personally would've went with something sillier and a little more impractical - like a giant Windows logo square that has horrible hang-time. The whole fun comes from being blatantly high-strung that day from an overnight binge of Red Bull & sleep deprivation and then hilariously flopping into the water.
I wish you guys would've participated in my hometown Philly this year so I could see this in person, but I don't blame you for choosing the beach. I wish you all the best of luck!
@pistonhjr
I don't know what the Pheonix project is, but it is sound like fun and excited. Wish u luck ! :)))
Wow, this looks really cool. I used to do something similar to this in engineering class but it was a lot less technical since it was only my first year. My hat's off to any of the teams who attempt this. Good luck
Almost forgot...
@Dhuvy
almost forgot...
Awesome! Looks so cool! I Can't wait for you all to win!
The phoenix is gonna be hot! So hot it'll made the people living in the town in AZ wanna put on parkas in comparison!!!
@ilovepemmican
Try to crash softly and carefully. Good luck!
http://twitter.com/CerebronIX
Let's hope this first version doesn't crash into a blue screen. ZING!
@sinnrG
Wow! That looks really exciting! I would love to fly that plane. Too bad the Phoenix probably has a size and weight limit!
I think you can win...you have my vote
@mosammey
Your all intelligent people...so I am confident that the Phoenix shall serve you well...still I shall be praying to the Gods on behalf of this project! :-)
Have fun...if you ever want another person to pilot this count me in!
It oughta fly, but isn't building an actual, viable plane kind of against the spirit of the competition? I thought the idea was to crash into the water in the most hilariously embarassing manner possible. Or maybe that's just the ones who "win" the internet voting. :p
@MelGrubb
I half-expected the Phoenix to look like a stealth bomber, lol, but it looks cool as it is. It was a wonderful idea putting the colors from the Windows Logo on top of the wings.
And I especially like the fact that you've built such a big craft out of commonly available materials and still ended up weighing much less than the prescribed limit .
Here's hoping you guys work wonders on the day!
You can find me at cynthadd [at] gmail [dot] com in case I win (by some miracle haha)
-Avinash
Good luck guys. I've always seen the Red Bull dock dive on TV. That's so awesome that you guys are entering the competition! Plus, that's a real awesome picture of Phoenix! I can't wait to see it when it is done.
Good Luck!
Thomas.Bezak (at) Live.com
You know what, I think, since you guys are using windows colors on the wings, you can use ~~^~~ as a text symbol for Phoenix
@etabari (again)
The elegance is in the simplicity. It will fly... and if it doesn't, hey it's only water, right? All the best, and have fun! =)