Water receding, waiting for wind…
Well, I am now getting pretty bored of taking pictures of reflections of the Greenbird, even if some of the sunsets and sunrises are magnificent.
Water is steadily drying, but regardless of the water situation, there is no real sign of wind on the horizon, which is a real change compared to the conditions I experienced last year, when we had a front (strong wind event) pass through every 2 or 3 days. This year, the jet stream is keeping the low pressure systems well below Australia and we are experiencing record High pressures with sun and light winds. Take a look at this site for a better explanation of current conditions www.weatherzone.com.au/synoptic.jsp Finding the right weather has always been a big part of the equation and for sure we have missed some great winds by a very small time margin. On the flip side we have also sat for months in deserts around the world in windless conditions. some of the comments refer to bad luck, but I don’t see it like this at all. To me, it is all part of the challenge and the harder the record is, the greater value I attach to it and the harder I try to break it.
I have had many questions asking for more detailed explanation of how the vehicle actually works, so for the technical amongst you, I will do my best to put up a better description, here, shortly.
The Greenbird is currently sitting on blocks, to keep the mechanics dry, in about 2 inches of water.
Greenbird on the lake
Greenbird reflected in the lake.
Greenbird on the rippling water
Greenbird under an orange sky.
Hi Richard,
Read about you and the craft ibn the Guardian and obbserver. Hope you will have good conditions soon. The pictures are really great! Good luck!
Charlotte (ps is Gina with you?)
Comment by Charlotte — August 25, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
Hi Richard, Dale,
I am a journalist with The West Australian and have been trying (somewhat unsuccessfully!) to track down an Australian mobile phone contact for you both so I can have a chat with you about your land speed attempt. Can you email me back with details or ring me on 0894823260 or 0409912955 ASAP?
Many thanks
Comment by Flip Prior — August 26, 2008 @ 3:30 am
Hi Richard
Read about you in NZ Hearld here in Auckland where we have lots of wind and heaps of rain, after 6 months of drought! Looks a bit faster than my Blokart copy and looking at the video it a takes bit longer to assemble than a blokart. I Haven’t been out on my land yacht for 2 months as weather so bad! At least you have sunshine over in Oz, all we have is wind, rain and snow. Looking forward to seeing some video of greenbird in action.
Do you hope to just break the record or smash it?
Good luck keep up the good work.
Cheers
Comment by Mark Fraser — August 26, 2008 @ 5:06 am
I’d really appreciate your opinion on my “soap analogy” :
If I understand it right, for maximum speed the Greenbird would be moving sideways to the wind…
Like a very slippery wedge of soap, on a smooth surface, it will move sideways faster than your finger moves as it presses down.
Hopefully this is useful analogy, and doesnt need complex mathematics
Comment by Brian James — August 26, 2008 @ 8:56 am
Doesn’t the fact that you can’t move until the wind blows make the whole notion of wind power redundant?
Trying to break the speed record is one thing and waiting for the correct conditions to achieve this is admirable, but having the whole adventure funded by a ‘renewables’ company who are hoping for some decent publicity seems out of keeping with the pursuit of the dream.
The record can wait and sit it out but I’m not sure the worlds population can wait for the wind to blow to drive them forward.
Comment by alan dunsmore — August 26, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
Hi all, Richard Jenkins here…
@ Brian James -
The ‘Throttle’ controls the flap on the tail of the main wing, exactly like a pilot controls the elevator on the tail of an aeroplane. This then puts a moment force on the wing, which turns it to control the angle of attack to the apparent wind, and hence the power of the whole rig.
@ alan dunsmore -
We are pushing the boundaries of technology and efficiency to try and achieve a world first, and for this we need a very precise set of weather conditions to achieve our goal. It is not that there is no wind, just not the once a year occurrence we are waiting for. Wind power more generally can operate in a far wider wind range and make use of this low speed flows. The Greenbird simply helps draw attention to the phenomenal power of the wind and its future as a renewable power.
Comment by Richard — August 27, 2008 @ 9:18 am