Photo: Rick Cavallaro
After successfully traveling downwind at 2.86 times the speed of the wind, back in 2010, Rick Cavallaro’s wind-powered car, the Blackbird, has attracted attention yet again, achieving an even more impressive feat. Keep in mind that it has no motors to speak of, getting its power from the subtle propeller at the top of what can only be described as a modern-looking carbon fiber mast.
While traveling downwind faster than the wind is a feat which can easily be achieved by sailing boats and land yachts, traveling upwind faster then the wind is a lot more trickier to achieve. However, after altering the design of the Blackbird, its creator has managed to get it to drive upwind 2.01 times faster than the actual wind speed.
This is a great achievement and it brings even more credibility to the design. Who knows, with advances in this sort of tech, maybe the world’s windier countries, which also have smooth roads, could accommodate this most greenest of motoring, and it may even work well - Iceland comes to mind . . .
Story via wired.com
The 2010 video, for those who don't know the Blackbird.
This is a great achievement and it brings even more credibility to the design. Who knows, with advances in this sort of tech, maybe the world’s windier countries, which also have smooth roads, could accommodate this most greenest of motoring, and it may even work well - Iceland comes to mind . . .
Story via wired.com
The 2010 video, for those who don't know the Blackbird.
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