I don't see how it's possible, if anything it would reverse because the sail would not recieve the full force of the displaced air.
What's so hard to understand about newtons laws?
The fact that i've done this and it works?
The fact that i've done this and it works?
I don't see how it's possible, if anything it would reverse because the sail would not recieve the full force of the displaced air.
If you go on the assumption that the fan is 100% efficient at blowing say 2Nm into the sail and the sail is 100% efficient at catching the 2Nm blown at it...
You ain't going anywhere
And yet the air you're blowing at the sail isn't coming from inside the craft, it's coming from outside. The fan creates a difference in pressure so the air moves in a general 'towards the sail' direction. Which is essentially exactly the same effect as wind.
No it's not, as it instills all that force through the fan, so it is eternal. Otherwise your sail would be working like a normal sail and your boat would be going many magnitudes faster.
And yet the air you're blowing at the sail isn't coming from inside the craft, it's coming from outside. The fan creates a difference in pressure so the air moves in a general 'towards the sail' direction. Which is essentially exactly the same effect as wind.
What's so hard to understand about newtons laws?
I don't think it matters for our present argument if it's an efficient way of travelling, just that it's physically possible.
I've only just watched the first of those mythbuster links, but isn't the only reason the boat moved because of the force of the propeller? The fact that the sail was there meant nothing, it was just moving backwards for the exact same reason it would have moved backwards if the sail wasn't there in the first place.
Surely if the sail wasn't there the craft would move in the opposite direction? I'd break paint out but it's late and i'm up early in the morning so you know...
Don't bother, you are wrong.![]()