Power Kite Forum

Blackbird - eBay Faster-Than-(down)Wind vehicle

lad - 4-6-2013 at 05:29 PM

it's item # 281114481020 on ebay.

Read all about it here!

PS: it also moves DIRECTLY UPWIND faster than the windspeed - while still being solely "powered by the wind."


Michael Gaylan - 4-6-2013 at 08:28 PM

I love this article.

There's nothing like a mind that see's beyond the norms. He proposed that a car can travel down wind faster than the wind itself. Of course eh was ridiculed for his "thinking" and I am sure he lost a lot of sleep over this one. LOL

NOT.

At any rate, he wasn't looking at no stinking book for guidance, he wrote his own.

There is nothing like first hand knowledge.

indigo_wolf - 4-6-2013 at 09:55 PM

If there is an SO involved in this purchase, I would really like to be on the wall for that conversation.....

"Soooooo, honey, there's an item on eBay that I've had my eye on and I know just where we can keep it...."

I expect the police blotter entry would also be pretty interesting. :o :lol:

ATB,
Sam

cheezycheese - 5-6-2013 at 05:42 AM

Thanks Lad !! Cool stuff... these guys should build kitebuggies...

elfasa - 5-6-2013 at 05:44 AM

That's amazing !
Check out the questions and answers at the bottom of the page. Very funny :)

Tim

stephdip - 5-6-2013 at 05:55 AM

A few years back i followed the entire thing on a RC helicopter forum.

if interested go here for a long read, you can spot the non beleivers and know it alls trying to prove him wrong :)
just like the ones that don't understand why a plane will still take off on a treadmill !!!

http://rc.runryder.com/helicopter/t465942p1/

on the last pages you will find videos of it in action.
like i said it's long but interesting read and you can see the build over time, initial try outs etc etc..

Steff

insults, bets and threats!

lad - 5-6-2013 at 02:44 PM

Wow, you gotta read this (long) MAKE blog about the controversy.

Scientists, physics professors, hobbyists, all proclaiming it couldn't be done: insults, physical threats, $100K bets! It's amazing how many top "experts" were WRONGO!

MAKE article

van - 5-6-2013 at 09:25 PM

It's so funny how no one realize that the contraption is not directly powered by the wind. If a vehicle is DIRECTLY powered by the wind, it can not travel downwind faster than the wind. He is converting wind power into rotating power using gears which of course will make the vehicle go faster as long as there's still enough power to drive it. It's more than possible to make the vehicle go faster. It's the same reason why we can go faster than the wind on a buggy. You are redirectiing power when you cut at an angle to the wind. Look at his propeller, the blades are at an ANGLE to the wind just like the way we angle our kite position to the wind.

I hate it when people argue without looking at the facts. The vehicle might be going down wind but not the sail. The propeller is the sail and they are not facing downwind. I can go downwind faster than the wind with my buggy and kite by zig zaging the kite side to side, same concept as the propeller .. no mystery there.

lad - 6-6-2013 at 07:23 PM

Even more funny: I emailed the articles to sort of an old-school "energy engineer" who only took a few minutes to conclude:

"I am confused what the doubt is all about?
why would it NOT go faster than the wind?
it consumes a large nrg channel in space, and travels in a small channel...
same effect if you took 500 pipes of water, combine them into one pipe with smaller area then the combined pipes, you have a linear increase in water speed.... "

All the "experts" weighing in were only looking at it from their aerodynamic disciplines, and overlooked the simple mechanical conversion.

bargain

skimtwashington - 7-6-2013 at 05:56 AM

Bids at 5 grand, for now. That's pretty cheap- considering likely material costs alone....never mind man-hour labor value.

As a recreational toy and perhaps more...?


Upwind and down wind...check.
How about indirect or side winds?

awindofchange - 7-6-2013 at 10:45 AM

I wonder if some of those 'bids' are from other debunked scientists who want to personally see if they have been duped. LOL

van - 7-6-2013 at 02:27 PM

Exactly...took me like 30 seconds to see that it was just a matter of redirecting energy...nothing special. I need to stop making buggies and make one of these...lol. people pay alot more.



Quote: Originally posted by lad  
Even more funny: I emailed the articles to sort of an old-school "energy engineer" who only took a few minutes to conclude:

"I am confused what the doubt is all about?
why would it NOT go faster than the wind?
it consumes a large nrg channel in space, and travels in a small channel...
same effect if you took 500 pipes of water, combine them into one pipe with smaller area then the combined pipes, you have a linear increase in water speed.... "

All the "experts" weighing in were only looking at it from their aerodynamic disciplines, and overlooked the simple mechanical conversion.

MyAikenCheeks - 7-6-2013 at 06:31 PM

Wind Powered Car Uses a Fancy Kite. (What's a fancy kite????):rolleyes::rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-6gWcdpE5Y

Published on Feb 6, 2013
A wind powered car travels 3,000 miles.

Tired of driving your old car?

German based Evonik Industries has created the 'Wind Explorer' car, which utilizes a lithium-ion battery and wind power. The battery' cells are able to store energy from the vehicle's portable wind turbine.

Attached to the car is a kite or parachute-like object which propels it forward with the help of a light wind.
The appearance is rather amusing, at least in today's modern world. It's a two-seater which bears a resemblance to an old-fashioned go kart. Skinny wheels and tires similar to that of bicycles keep it moving.

Amazingly, the 'Wind Explorer' was able to travel 3,000 miles across Australia from Perth to Sydney, using less than $15 dollars in electricity. The car even managed to break some records on its route.

It is the first vehicle to cross a continent powered by wind and lithium-ion batteries. The vehicle also traveled the longest overall distance, covered by a wind-powered car. New Jersey visitors can view the car currently on display at EvoniS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s office in Parsippany-Troy Hills.

How do you like it? :thumbup: Think of it, No more walks of shame!
Anybody got an idea what size de-power that is???:puzzled::puzzled:

lad - 8-6-2013 at 06:22 AM

Wonder what kind of mileage the wind car got on that beach sand using those bike tires? :D

Look, the Land Sailer group(s) need to buy that Blackbird thingie and start a museum! (actually, the guy should'a donated it!)