

| Subject: | Re: Instant horsepower (Pinwheel) |
| From: | Tom and Dana Cates |
| Date: | Sun, 7 May 2000 19:33:33 -0400 |
In addition to my pinwheel, and after careful consideration I have planned
the following additional Bolt On 'instant horsepower' enhancements to the
lusus naturae:
Oar Locks on the driver and passenger window sills. My calculations indicate
that with the willing(not likely) help of my wife manning the passenger side
oar I can expect an additional 30 ft lbs of propelling force to be
available.
Proof: 100ftlbs*2ft/10ft=20ftlbs Driver side.
50ftlbs*2ft/10ft=10ftlbs Passenger side.
Additionally these oars can be used in a threatening manner towards
unfriendly traffic.
I suspect that this idea may not work; not so much because of the force
imbalance that might cause my van to skew side to side and eventually
overturn, I just think that my wife would probably make herself unavailable.
So I have a 'PLAN 2B':
I will perform the Golf alternator upgrade. Then I will attach a big
electromagnet with a Bay spare tire carrier to the front of the Vanagon, and
power it up with my 90 amps. The thing is I don't remember how to calculate
much of anything, least of all how many pounds of force I can generate with
90 amps at 12vdc.
Tom Cates
83 Aircooled Westfalia, 'Hammurabi'Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »