Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Going Faster Than the Wind In a Wind-Powered Cart

Posted by Soulskill on from the any-way-the-wind-blows dept.

Shawnconna writes "Can a wind cart travel faster than the wind? A group of makers say, 'Yes!' Make: Online has published a story about the Blackbird wind cart that just set a record. This is a follow-up to an earlier story in which Charles Platt built a cart based on a viral video where a guy claimed he'd built a wind-powered vehicle that could travel downwind faster than the windspeed. Charles built one and said it didn't work. Heated debates broke out in forums, on BB, and elsewhere on the Net. In the ensuing time, a number of people have built carts and claimed success, most principally, Rick Cavallaro. He got funding from Google and JOBY to build and test a human-piloted cart. They claim success, with multiple sensor systems on board, impartial judges and experts in attendance."

2 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. Good grief, ancient history by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Good Grief, what happened to, like, research?

    I think Chinese Junks have been exceeding the wind speed for like, 5,000 years.

    You can also analyze it as a glider by turning the world 90 degrees-- now you have a plane wing, which can have a glide ratio of up to 20-- that is, moving across (down) one unit while moving 20 units downrange (forward).

  2. Oh come on now. by billsayswow · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I've been doing this for years. Just gotta start on top of a nice long hill...