This sail can be folded up to the size of a small camping chair, and is made of two pieces of bamboo and 3 pieces of aluminium piping.
I have only tested it in winds of 5mph, and I am really happy with it.
I will be recording the whole trip in time laps when we do it, I just need to look at weather forecasts.
[img]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1379/nikssial.jpg[/img]
Trips gonna be 1/4 on hard sand and be over 150km
Video uploaded
[media]http://youtube.com/watch?v=J36Sr9lXS_w[/media]
What do you expect that to do for you, exactly? I look at this and I see air resistance + obnoxious instability. Points for concept, I suppose.
Get one of these and you can cross any desert.
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/4957540148_ced3311d7a.jpg[/img]
I don't feel this is going to work.
I've always wanted to go through a desert in a truck with a minifridge full of beer and speakers blasting ACDC.
One of my dreams.
A for affort.
But the sail is going to hit you one the head.
Ok, maybe I havn't added enough info. I have tested it, and I am very happy with it, it goes 18km/h in 5 knot winds, and expected wind on planned date is a constant 16 knot crosswind. I also get CAS hours for building it and doing the trip. We need bikes with thick wheels as 1/4 of the trip will be on hard-ish sand, and thin wheels will just sink.
[QUOTE=Mossie;27350741]thin wheels will just sink.[/QUOTE]
[img_thumb]http://www.esmithproductions.com/photoblog/images/20081106081458_cyclocross_crash.jpg[/img_thumb]
[QUOTE=bopie;27350838][img_thumb]http://www.esmithproductions.com/photoblog/images/20081106081458_cyclocross_crash.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE]
Yes, I have lived here for a while, and use my bike more than the car. It is possible to drive on sand, but this is a 160km trip.
[QUOTE=3v3ryb0dy;27350444]I don't feel this is going to work.
I've always wanted to go through a desert in a truck with a minifridge full of beer and speakers blasting ACDC.
One of my dreams.[/QUOTE]
It's funny, I have the same dream.
Cept' it's an El Camino and I'm blasting The White Stripes.
I just wish I could go sand surfing.
Go into a really high-wind area with a really strong board attached to a sail with handles. Or kite-surfing through the desert.
That would be amazing.
silly, no water in the desert!
I have a dream to one day cross America, coast to coast, on a bicycle. It would be a leisurely trip, stopping from town to town to meet new people, to sightsee, etc.
That's a pretty neat contraption there, but if it proves useless (breaks, low winds, etc) then it'll just be dead weight. It is inexpensive enough to toss, should you have to?
Thats really cool! And i think its a great idea too! What I would do is have the boom so if you have a wind pushing sort of sideways you could extend it out the other direction with a weight (might not be very helpful) or a fin pushing downward so you dont get blown over but I dont know how well it would work or if you would need it and when the boom turns around you would be in the road of it.
good luck with your trip I love seeing things like this!
I have a dream to ride trhough a huge desert in an old soviet truck retrofitted for such purpose, with a minifridge on the back and guitar amp, so while I ride I can have beer and my friends can play metal solos with guitar while we drive, and so that we can challenge eachother to rock-offs.
[editline]15th January 2011[/editline]
Either tank or work onboard an icebreaker in artics.
It cost me 5 dollars. And it only weighs about 2kg, which is nothing when it's folded up. I have vids of me sailing it. I will post soon.
[editline]15th January 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Mizzy;27365445]I just wish I could go sand surfing.
Go into a really high-wind area with a really strong board attached to a sail with handles. Or kite-surfing through the desert.
That would be amazing.[/QUOTE]
You need a kitewing. I've made one, but you can buy them. They are absofuckinglutely amazing.
Honestly.. I have been designing a hanglider to do just this for a while now im going to totally build a kitewing!! Can you tell me how you build yours? I might even be able to put a brushless RC plane motor on the back that would be some REAL fun :D (with a propeller ive course)
What else have you made???
[QUOTE=Willzilla;27440777]Honestly.. I have been designing a hanglider to do just this for a while now im going to totally build a kitewing!! Can you tell me how you build yours? I might even be able to put a brushless RC plane motor on the back that would be some REAL fun :D (with a propeller ive course)
What else have you made???[/QUOTE]
A pretty awesome KA trebuchet which uses only 2 bricks to fling a golf ball over 100 meters.
Here's the wing:
[media]http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8774/img4901s.jpg[/media]
And a Dirtsurfer I built for the kitewing
[media]http://img830.imageshack.us/i/dirt2n.jpg[/media]
After improving the wing, I made it smaller and much more rigid:
[media]http://img830.imageshack.us/i/dirt2n.jpg[/media]
[QUOTE=Mossie;27452893]A pretty awesome KA trebuchet which uses only 2 bricks to fling a golf ball over 100 meters.
Here's the wing:
[media]http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8774/img4901s.jpg[/media]
And a Dirtsurfer I built for the kitewing
[media]http://img830.imageshack.us/i/dirt2n.jpg[/media]
After improving the wing, I made it smaller and much more rigid:
[media]http://img830.imageshack.us/i/dirt2n.jpg[/media][/QUOTE]
Hey can you want to add me on steam? Search for sizzleah my nick is Willzilla
[QUOTE=Willzilla;27453107]Hey can you want to add me on steam? Search for sizzleah my nick is Willzilla[/QUOTE]
It doesn't come up with anything. You can add me if you like: The Sparrow
[QUOTE=Mossie;27459054]It doesn't come up with anything. You can add me if you like: The Sparrow[/QUOTE]
you name doesnt come up with anything either :P I realized last night ive watched like half your youtube vids at different times without realizing its the same channel and now im like "ooooohhh its that guy". ive even got gm_slopes. Today i want to start on a dirt surfer after seeing yours I just happen to have wheels for it.
How shall we add each other then? Do you have gmail?
I started making a dirt surfer today im about 3/4 done it will be pretty cool. You one looks better though mine looks like its made out of PVC pipe and 90 degree connectors but its aluminium. I might make an electric one in school this year and make the wheel the motor that will be really fun
Edit: I just realized why dirtsurfers have the weird joint at the front it seems its suspension? I may need to adjust mien and im making it longer too. Idk how I could make suspension unless I changed the front joints but thats going to be really hard. I will figure something out I guess
EDIT: Ok now I see that bit makes the wheel turn its not suspension and I just had suspension all worked out damnit. I kind of have an idea on how I could make that its just I would be missing a really useful part which is what attaches onto the wheel. it just happens the right angle joints I have I also have ones that join on and pivot which I could use.im just not sure if the pipe I have is long enough to leave me enough foot room too. I think I just found something that was from the old aluminium chairs i got that might do the trick I will see tomorrow (later today). Is there any other vital info thats hard to tell from just looking?
Yes the contraption in the front is so you can steer it with leaning. There's basically no better way to do it, and it will have to be made of metal.
Ive got my frame done I just am having trouble with the it at the front. I know what i need to do it without welding but I dont have any and i dont really have anything right now i can do it with and its really annoying! Im basically done once I get this bit done. How did you do yours do you have a welder some sort?
[QUOTE=Willzilla;27491646]Ive got my frame done I just am having trouble with the it at the front. I know what i need to do it without welding but I dont have any and i dont really have anything right now i can do it with and its really annoying! Im basically done once I get this bit done. How did you do yours do you have a welder some sort?[/QUOTE]
The nose is 90% of the work, you'll see. And yes, it wasn't expensive to make, scrap metal, some leverage and a welder.
[QUOTE=Mossie;27497551]The nose is 90% of the work, you'll see. And yes, it wasn't expensive to make, scrap metal, some leverage and a welder.[/QUOTE]
I went and got some aluminium flat bar and its looking good it could be finished tomorrow if I can get the right nuts for the wheels I cant find any with the right thread on them. And the washers and lock washers I got are too small lol. I think I will make a better dirtsurfer in school this year along with many other things lol
Are you in Australia? CAS hours and 150km of desert sounds like something we have here. Interesting concept you have too, if you've got enough wind it should work well.
Awesome concept, and if done right, it looks as if it should come in handy.
On the topic of sand related sports, I've always wanted to sandboard. I snowboard, so I imagine that it wouldnt be too different. Though falling would cause sand to get everywhere it shouldnt be....
[QUOTE=Error_404;27498458]Are you in Australia? CAS hours and 150km of desert sounds like something we have here. Interesting concept you have too, if you've got enough wind it should work well.[/QUOTE]
I'm South African, so close, but I am actually in the UAE right now.
Guys here's video of first test run:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J36Sr9lXS_w[/media]
No instability once you start moving, when you want to stand still, you just face the wind
when I build the new sail, it will look much different. I wont have a flexible mast, and the sail will have soft ribs
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