Real gliding...

[circa81]

Is it possible that the glider cape idea could work in real life, or is the cape to small?

[THE WIDDLER]

The Bat Wing could work in real life

[El Payaso]

Not much, since Batman would need a harness to keep his body parallel to the glider. Otherwise his body would be hanging down - the arms wouldn't be enough - and he'd be probably choking since the neck would be the only attachment.

[Nepenthes]

^ but framework in the cape could magnetically attach itself to his belt, forming a harness of sorts. it could work that way, we just never saw it demonstrated on screen

but still, yeah, it's probably to small to do the things we saw

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Well, would he choke, b/c the cape isn't tied around his neck. It's attached over his shoulders

[Nepenthes]

huh? you just said it's attached to his shoulders....which means no he wouldn't choke .
and if it attaches at his belt it helps bear his weight.

[lujho]

No. It's too small, the wrong shape and the wrong configuration. The gliding as seen in the film would never, ever work, and frankly I hate it and think it looks utterly fake. It looks like a man sliding along a wire while holding out his cape which flutters a bit in the wind, which is exactly what it is. It doesn't look like it's actually supporting him in the air at all - except in the CG shots where at least it looks like it's catching a lot of air.

Anything that would really allow Batman to glide would look a lot different and be a lot more cumbersome or complex.

Simply having Batman's body parallel to the "wings" wouldn't help either - there's a reason hang-glider pilots hang several feet below the wings, and it's for stability. They don't have the glider strapped straight to their back.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Like it matters.