[QUOTE=Asuri;48842]Let’s assume for the sake of argument, that the writer of this document actually witnessed an aircraft in flight. Why did he describe it in such primitive language? If these people were building and flying aircraft, they would have had a language that was comparable to the technology. I think some of the details of construction are inconsistent with advanced capabilities. It says that the craft was built of light wood, but the engine was iron.[/QUOTE]
This is one of the few things I disagree with SD about. A mercury engine cannot hope to produce enough thrust to ever get of the ground in the first place. Mercury is a pretty odd metal to use in the first place. Not reactive enough. It would be better off to use something that has a high negative enthalpy in a reaction.
And by the way, the Vimanas you speak of SD, are not aerodynamically savvy. I believe an Indian university examined the aircraft designs in these shastras and found that they violated the principles of aerodynamics AND Newton’s laws. And you know what happens when anything violates our Lord God Newton and His laws (in Earth anyway)…you have a very angry teenager yelling in these parts of the forums…
And this is a warning to all…never even THINK of saying our Holy Father Einstein is wrong in any way…or else you will get thrown into a black hole.
While I know there are several things of scientific import in the Hindu scriptures, this is not one of them.