Asian sales help revive French espadrilles

MAULEON, France - Agence France-Presse

This photo shows an Espadrille colored with the flag of the Basque country and displayed at Megam Creation Espasoule, one of the last factories in the French Basque

Batman would need a parachute to land safely in real life, say physicists who recommend a cape redesign if the masked superhero is to pursue his exploits outside the pages of comic books or celluloid.

 On the big screen, the crime-fighter is able to glide from tall buildings using a cape spread out like wings. Given his current cape design, Batman could glide to a distance of about 350 meters if he were to jump from a building about 150 meters high, a group of four University of Leicester physics students found.
 “The problem with the glide lies in his velocity as he reaches ground level,” they wrote in the university’s Journal of Special Physics Topics. “The velocity rises rapidly to a maximum of a little over 110 kilometers per hour. At these high speeds any impact would likely be fatal if not severely damaging” they wrote.
 Batman’s wingspan, at 4.7 meters, is about half that of a hang glider. The scientists conclude that the crusader get a bigger cape, pack a parachute, or use propulsion jets to keep himself aloft.