Directorly Downwind Faster than the Wind

[Rapadura]

Well, I don't know what REALLY makes this vehicle move forward, but I think it's clear that the inventors are claiming that is the movement of the wheels that provide torque to the propeller.

[ramset]

Clo
to say there has been a lot of research into prop or sail design would be a stupendous "understatement"!

What the heck is going on here?

Do these fellows share specifics anywhere?
any theory?
Claims ??
expectations?

Chet

[Rapadura]

Heeeey! Now I remember! I had this same idea when I was 17 years old!

I know nobody will believe what I will say, and nobody has the obligation to believe, I do not want anyone to believe me, just need to say this, because it's something that just left me shocked.

Over ten years ago, when I was 17, I was on a beach here in Brazil when I thought of an idea that was exactly like this idea that we are analyzing here ... I just thought of a small car where the movement of the wheels would be transmitted to a rear propeller, which would create a wind that could push the car forward.

The day I thought about it, not told anyone my idea. I simply dismissed the idea, thinking that  friction somehow should prevent that from work. I ended up completely forgetting the idea. Just now I remembered that toughts of that day!

Nobody needs to believe me, I'm very happy just to know that someone had the same idea I had that day, and, better, someone had put it into practice!

Just registering this recordation. Please don't pay attention to this post.

[gmeast]

Let's clarify some things here.

The inventors claim that in this device is not the propeller that provides torque to the wheels, but the opposite: is the rotation of the wheels that provides torque for the propeller. It's what they try to show in this video:

Yes, well that's fine but in the full scale model on the 'flats' the wind starts out moving the wheels (no doubt about that) and if the wind stops then the car stops (no doubt about that).

The treadmill demo is more complex than it appears.  The ground (belt) moving by in stationary air is not the same as the full scale machine.  On the treadmill the air and the cart start out at the same speed (zero) and remain that way.  I admit it is intriguing and it's hard to nail down what's really happening with the treadmill videos.  So that's why we have forums.

Still it is potentially the most efficient Land Yacht ever contrived.

Greg

[gmeast]

You see this thing operating and it brings back many memories of independent inventors coming into my machine shop and asking me to help them build the most famous of all overunity gizmos:

...a generator charging a battery that's running the motor that's turning the generator... 

Everyone here has passed that O.U. Hopeful by their brain cells more than once I'm sure.

But this actually appears to be doing something similar