Cavallaro Blackbird

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyQwgBAaBag

A HUGE thanks to Rick and Neil for letting me drive Blackbird. Check out Rick's YouTube Channel for more in depth videos and explanations on going faster than the wind downwind -- https://ve42.co/Rick Gene Nagata made the shoot possible. If you’re a video nerd like me, check out his channel, Potato Jet: https://www.youtube.com/c/PotatoJet/f.... Xyla Foxlin for made the model cart used in this video. Xyla builds amazing things like rockets and canoes, check it out! https://www.youtube.com/c/xylafoxlin/

References Jack Goodman's YouTube video -- https://ve42.co/Goodman Rick's treadmill footage -- https://ve42.co/Treadmill Rick's multiple explanations of how Blackbird works -- https://ve42.co/DDWFTTW Forum discussions -- https://ve42.co/forum Blog -- https://ve42.co/blog1 and retraction https://ve42.co/BlogRetraction Gaunaa, M., Øye, S., & Mikkelsen, R. F. (2009). Theory and design of flow driven vehicles using rotors for energy conversion. In EWEC 2009 Proceedings online EWEC Md. Sadak Ali Khan, Syed Ali Sufiyan, Jibu Thomas George, Md. Nizamuddin Ahmed. Analysis of Down-Wind Propeller Vehicle. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 3, 4. (April 2013) ISSN 2250-3153. (www.ijsrp.org)

 

[TomcatViP]

Spoiler: How it works

There is a trick: the wheels are directly actuating the propeller through a set of chains linked to the axle.

Hence, the wheels push the vehicle making the wheels to turn (friction with the ground) what spins the propeller who then provide the extra thrust to the vehicle into the direction of rolling.

It all comes down to good propeller design, light weight materials and a good friction with the ground while having "unsprung" mass minimized.