The Kite boat project

The Kite boat project

I have been following these guys (and some others) for some time: project kiteboat.
Kites have long been an interesting means of traction, not only can they "make" their own apparent wind (by figure eighting), but their force vector is always upwards, not pressing the boat in the water but lifting it.

First have a look at some of the pictures below, at their website, at this youtube movie and their youtube channel.

When you are still interested maybe look lower down on the page some contect from the pioneers of kite sailing.

 The jacob's ladder  project might interest you, when large kites did not exist, you had to use a large number of smaller ones.
When speedsailing was still for crazy amateurs/inventors 

Isle of Skye, small= ECO=affordable

Isle of Skye, small= ECO=affordable.

That small blended houses can be beautiful is once more illustrated in episode 7 of series 12 of Grand Designs. That nice people make nice building is also prove again. The calm builder battling the elements!!

If you are not from England it is complicated to watch Grand Designs online, so have a look at project free TV, grand designs

In the TV program the North Scotisch, Findhorn community is mentioned you can find them here.

 

Just for inspiration another eco village/neigbourhood "de Buitenkans"

Some motorcycle images

Some motorcycle images

Just some designs I like.
Unsorted, uncommented, unlinked.
for now

Festo free R&D philosophy

Festo free R&D philosophy

Amazing what Festo has been able achieve with their "free" R&D work.
Jellyfish, Penguin, manta ray and most famously Smartbird.
Look around their website Festo


Smartbird, lightweight carbon fibre RC ornithopter, one of the first truly controllable ornitopthers. (good subject for a later blogpage)
Nice youtube movie of smartbird

 

The Festo Manta Ray floating around their atrium, nice!

Youtube movie

   

Festo Air jelly movie   

 

Festo elephant trunk manipulator
video

 

More large companies should invest in this way.

The corporate image will also be enhanced.

Who is next?

Aerobike, New Zealand enclosed motorcycle

Aerobike, New Zealand enclosed motorcycle

Roger Dunkley from New Zealand has made an enclosed motorcycle in record time.
As a designer I am very impressed by his work, if you like the photo's below chack out his weblog
Aerobike weblog
And/Or have a look at his track testing on youtube
 

Absolute Sailing speed record 65,45kts (121,12 km/h)

Absolute Sailing speed record 65,45kts (121,12 km/h)

Paul Larsens's Vestas sailrocket smashed the olf record by almost 10 knots  (>5%)
Some links (to find more out by yourself), pictures and context of the rocket.

Youtube record video
youtube video here


These photo's clearly shows the layout. The clever trick is that the sailforces are balanced by a pullin (not lifting) hydrofoil. The design and all the work on the prototypes and the eraly rc models certainly went into this balancing act.
The little horizontal wing on the leeward side of help the lift ooo, of the leeward float reducing water contact and consequently resistance.

 An early version of the rocket during the Weymouth speedweek?

A major setback when Sailrocket 1 went flying

 

The vestas blog gives more info about the vestas sailrocket

Just for some reference, some other projects using similar techniques or part of techniques

Macquarie innovation

website

youtube 50kn video

 

 Kitesurfer Sylvain Claudel using a Didier Costes pulling foil. For me this seems to have great future!
youtube

Didier Costes has been working around this principle already for many years as you can see from the following pictures. You can Also have a look at the webpage  about the Didier Costes work. That is where below pictures come from (by lack of time to scan my old Yachting World clippings)

Some more tests of the seaglider concept in Hawaii

Didier Costes calls his craft Exoplane.

Finally some (1970's) thougths of my own, which can be found on the website wind-water.nl
and then the Water section, menu option Hydrofoil ideas.
Maybe it is time to make a more detailed design of these ideas and at least an artist's impression rendering.

enjoy, play and learn
life is precious
life is short