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Leeds timelord tries to defy laws of gravity VIDEO
As adventures go, Doctor Who's latest intergalactic voyage has proved to be a damper affair than usual.
Rather than hurtling through time and space fighting Daleks and Cybermen, Leeds's own Doctor – alias Keith Godfrey – actually teamed up with some of his arch-enemies to attempt to fly the Tardis across a lake in London's Hyde Park.
It was all part of the Red Bull Flugtag, an annual international competition where teams of magnificent men – and women – in their home-made flying machines attempt to send their creations as far across the water as possible.
Keith, a plumber from Bramley, and three friends spent six weeks building their own version of the world's most famous policebox.
Dressed as The Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness, a Cyberman and king of the Daleks Davros, the quartet were hoping to exterminate the competition.
Unfortunately – as our pictures show – it was more a case of sink than soar as the boys' Tarbis (Time and Red Bull In Space) plummeted into the water with a distinct lack of flight...and with them in hot pursuit!
Celebrity
But the Leeds lads still did their city proud, wowing the celebrity panel of judges with their creativity – which included an intergalactic break dancing routine.
Jonny Heath, alias Captain Jack Harkness, said after the event: "We were very happy with our final position of 12th, although if we'd only managed six more metres we'd have come second.
"The judges scored us the highest of all the 41 teams with 19 out of a possible 20 marks for creativity.
"We did almost equally well from the performance judges who were pretty enthusiastic for our breakdancing routine.
"Then came the flying, and once again we were outstanding – only this time for our lack of distance!
"Gravity did what gravity does and dragged our oversized brick on wheels into the Serpentine with only four metres of 'flight' covered!"
The celebrity panel of judges lavishing top marks on the Leeds lads included were Strictly Come Dancing's 'Mr Nasty' Craig Revel-Horwood, former supermodel Jodie Kidd and BBC Fame Academy's Carrie Grant.
And among those watching was Hollywood megastar Kevin Spacey, who seemed particularly impressed with Team Tarbis's creation.
The teams were competing for a prize of 5,000, with creations varying from a giant swan to a Mary Poppins to a flying trifle among others.
The eventual winners – Glad Winners –- flew to an awe-inspiring 17 metres in their glider.
The Red Bull Flugtag is the brainchild of the firm's owner Dietrich
Mateschitz and, since the first event in 1992, it has been held in more than 35 cities all over the world
To enter, each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 lbs.
Teams are judged in three categories; distance, creativity, and showmanship.
The current record for the longest Flugtag flight is 195 feet, set in 2000 at the Austria event.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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