The Greenbird ice craft is now in record ready shape, but alas, one thing is missing, yep, wind! A huge high pressure is dominating north west USA, bringing clear skies and very light winds. The good side to this is that temperatures are above normal during the day and often creep into the +0 deg C region, so this melts the surface ice, gradually making it smoother. In fact, the ice is in great shape and getting better by the day, so when it does blow, we will be ready! It looks like the current weather system will change around Thursday, with a trough approaching from the North east Pacific. This will lower temperatures increase cloud cover and bring the chance of wind, as well as snow, of course!

On the craft, I have improved the steering control with a more robust hydraulic steering system from Teleflex, and also added yet another GPS, with a graphical display, showing the track and speed in real time. This is very useful, because when travelling at high speed, so close to the ice, it is often hard to tell how close you are to obstacles or the edge of the lake. We now carry a total of 6 independent GPS systems on board, each logging the speed and position at frequencies between 10 and 1 Hz.

I have also added a parachute, which can be used in emergencies or to just to aid stoping. Slowing from max speed should be relatively easy, but actually slowing from 50 mph to zero can be much harder. With such a low parasitic drag and the wing always wanting to drive forward, the parachute may be necessary to get the craft to come to a complete stop. As yet, all hypothetical, but we will soon find out if it is needed.

Would be nice to go out and test it all now!

Well, once the lake was dry enough to get back to the camp, it was very clear that it was going to take at least another few days, for it to dry enough to be able to run. With no wind forecast for the next week, we are simply out of time for this test window. Rain is not uncommon for this time of year, so it is not a huge surprise, but normally the rain is accompanied by wind in advance of the fronts and I was hoping to be able to utilise this wind before the rain stopped play. Unfortunately, the system that dropped this water, was a very slow moving low, without any significant pressure gradients, so unusually, it managed to rain without any wind in advance. All very annoying!

However, despite the lack of wind, I did get one day of sailing in, clocking 60 mph in light wind. Although this is only a fraction of the vehicle’s potential, it was fast enough to demonstrate that everything is working perfectly. My concerns over the rear suspension on the bumpy surface was unfounded and that gives me a lot of confidence for the next weather window in March.

As all the landsailors had disappeared after the Nalsa regatta washout, I dismantled the Greenbird by myself, which is always a challenge, but after a long day, it is all safely back on the trailer, and off the lake. The craft will be stored locally over the winter, and be ready for the next land record opportunity in March.

The next challenge for us is going to be the ice record in Montana in January.

Now fully set up at Ivanpah. Another day in the hot sun, ironing out any last glitches and fitting a few new systems. No wind forecast today, and until 2pm that was the case, absolutely nothing.

Then, from nowhere, the wind set in blowing 18-25 mph, almost instantly, and I was not ready!

These are not record wind speeds, but very good testing winds. I worked frantically to finish the hydraulics and bleed the system and finally got the wheel covers on at about 3pm.

Pushed it out on to the playa and sure enough, the wind meter was now reading 13 mph, where it stayed till sunset (our self starting threshold is 18 mph of true wind).

Typical. However this is the nature of the desert, sometimes a good forecast does not materialise, and other times a nothing forecast suddenly becomes good for an hour.

There is a better forecast for tomorrow, so hopefully, we will get some runs in.

The remaining water on the lake surface is causing quite serious concern. Although probably only 30% of the lake surface is covered, it blows around depending on the wind direction. Last night we received the first signs of wind approaching with a cold shift and a southerly wind at about 15 mph, gusting 20.

I awoke to find the area that had been wet yesterday was now dry, but the larger body of the lake that was dry, was now wet as lots of water has obviously blown up from the south end of the lake. With such a large area (10 miles by 6 miles) it is impossible to survey the entire area and know how much of the surface is covered, and of that area, how deep the water is. (more…)

Very long drive to the lake 950k, with a very heavy load. Poor car took a beating. 9 hrs one day, blew the head gasket at about midnight and from then on had to refill the water system every 50-100k, running a ‘bit rough’ on only 4 or 5 of the 6 cylinders! Nursed it to the lake the next morning and after another 4 hrs arrived about 11 am, only to find a flooded lake. Very depressing. The water (one inch in one day) last month is still around. However on detailed inspection not that bad. The locals have been sailing on a dry lake for the last  2 weeks, so gave me the nod that it was dry and ready to go, but during my drive, the wind changed direction and all the water that was piled up on the far side of the lake (10 miles away), washed across to this side. This means we can’t currently sail from the base out to the dry part of the lake, but hopefully as soon as the wind changes back to its prevailing direction, it will push the water back smoothing the surface as it goes.

Ready to go!

Finally in Western Australia!

Flooded lake!