Doesn't Superman's Cape Create Drag?

[Mat001]

Superman's ability to fly isn't dependant on aerodynamics, so all the drag his body and his costume creates is irrelevant and negligible.

Right. The fact that he flies at the same speeds when he's flown without his cape, is indicative of that.

No way. This thread is about the countless threads that come together to form Superman's cape.

I rest my case.

Why?

When I was a little kid--granted this was back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth--in summer time, we would tie our towels around our necks and pretend we were flying like Superman.

In fact there was a story--maybe it was an urban myth--that one kid put on a Superman cape and jumped to his death because he thought it would make him fly.

It seemed like visually the cape enhanced the idea that Superman was flying.

Key word on the fact that you were a kid. Same with myself and everyone else in the day. Back in the day, he was seldomly seen without his cape and so it was taken for granted that the cape was required. I did the same thing with a red towel, a hand made blue blanket and my dad's white T-shirts which he would rip up and put an S on the back in a diamond. The only difference is that I never jumped off the roof or out of a tree due to my fear of heights. But up until I was eight, I used to do that.

[The Frozen Reptile]

Yeah but everything creates drag, whether it's a car driving parallel to the world, a cape, or a contestant on Rupaul's reality TV show.

Yes, but virtually zero is not actually zero, so my explanation does leave open a small amount of drag.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

Yes, but virtually zero is not actually zero, so my explanation does leave open a small amount of drag.

True enough. I always get tripped up on the virtual versus the actual and that in itself is a drag.

[dupersuper]

All valid points. I totally hear ya...but admit it, Superman's cape DOES slow him down.

How? He can push mountains and asteroids around.

[clownprince01]

I'm surprised this thread has gotten so much mileage.

Nevertheless, my two cents; of course the cape creates drag. I mean, it's a big wide piece of material, it'll obviously slow him down. But Superman can move so quickly and with such ease despite being encumbered by such things that it's pretty much a moot point.

Basically, the extent to which it slows him down is probably so minuscule, he might as well wear the cape.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

I'm surprised this thread has gotten so much mileage.

Nevertheless, my two cents; of course the cape creates drag. I mean, it's a big wide piece of material, it'll obviously slow him down. But Superman can move so quickly and with such ease despite being encumbered by such things that it's pretty much a moot point.

Basically, the extent to which it slows him down is probably so minuscule, he might as well wear the cape.

Thank you! Glad somebody said it.

[Mat001]

So that whole point is to get someone to say that?

[Fire Knight]

Can he really push planets? I thought that was just in cartoons.

in Smallville Finale he push planet apokolips from earth

[Alan2099]

So that whole point is to get someone to say that?

Some people just go searching for little nitpicks to prove they're right. You might as well ask "would flying through a light mist cause Superman to go slower?'

Technically yes, but if you want the non-scientific BS answer, the one NOT used by smug people to prove they're smarter than you, this is a guy that flies through planets like it's nothing. Going 1/89 millionth of a second slower isn't going to make any real difference to anything.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

Some people just go searching for little nitpicks to prove they're right. You might as well ask "would flying through a light mist cause Superman to go slower?'

Technically yes, but if you want the non-scientific BS answer, the one NOT used by smug people to prove they're smarter than you, this is a guy that flies through planets like it's nothing. Going 1/89 millionth of a second slower isn't going to make any real difference to anything.

Well it makes a fairly big difference to me.

[Vaiyt]

Question.

Wouldn't it be easier for Supes to fly without his cape? That thing has got to create some serious drag.

Answer.

Superman's body itself would probably generate more drag than the cape.

[Alan2099]

Well it makes a fairly big difference to me.

Why?



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[Surtur]

Honestly, it's a universe with talking telepathic monkeys and green martians that love oreo cookies. Whether or not a character's costume is practical really doesn't even register for me.

If we're going to nitpick the costume then we might as well nitpick how he shoots lasers out of his eyes or how he can hear a gunshot on the other side of the world and be there in time to save the one being shot at even though sound doesn't travel that fast and thus by the time he heard it the person would of already been shot anyways.

Then my head would probably just explode if I tried to nitpick everything wrong with Silver Age Superman.

[Two Headed Sex Beast]

Why?



.......

I don't know that I feel comfortable answering that in a public forum.

[Mat001]