They also appear to need a guy with a fire extinguisher standing right there whenever they start it up, so.
Just another ordinary day working for the Department of Jetpack Suppression.
I'm technically a trained surfer. Just saying.
I did manage to break a toe that day so I can see why they went to this guy first.
More of an evening commute thing, then?
Appreciating 2. Do these guys have a website?
I just see ttaM burning down the M4 on one of those. The final commuter revenge fantasy: you can track his progress by the spreading banner of flame and black smoke as the petrol tanks of the cars beneath catch fire. And then he steps off lightly at his place of work, once more the mild-mannered librarian.
Calling London. Meet up request:
http://www.unfogged.com/archives/comments_15358.html#1881721
Tuesday evening is good. Any suggestions on where?
Unless it turns out to be insanely expensive to make or turns out not to really work after all I'm guessing that it ends up being part of whatever the next X-TREME Sport is. Maybe if batteries get good enough (and they keep getting better, which is neat) it could be stabilized enough to become the next Segway.
it is not a good idea to have the propulsion so far away from the center of mass. I am pretty sure people are going to die.
Also no way that's a 1000 HP engine
Do these guys have a website?
An uninformative one written in some kind of gibberish.
no way that's a 1000 HP engine
I wondered about that, but I don't know from jet fuel.
not a good idea to have the propulsion so far away from the center of mass
Thus the trained surfer thing. Apparently their long-term mass-market plans are to make a seated version, although my impression is that this guy mostly built this so he could zoom around on his flying surfboard, which is totally fair. Another long-term plan of his is to "surf the clouds." So if anyone is going to die, it's going to be him.
You guys know that we are all going to die, right?
Not before we fly around like the Green Goblin, Flip.
That's super super awesome but the all black jumpsuit and AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" adds at least 10 pounds of badass. I mean a video of me preparing interrogatory responses with a "Shoot to Thrill"/jumpsuit/helmet combo would be mildly badass.
Looking again, I'm going to strike 13. It seems reasonable that his rig could be capable of that.
I mean a video of me preparing interrogatory responses with a "Shoot to Thrill"/jumpsuit/helmet combo would be mildly badass.
They say that treating badass with a solution containing 1/100,000,000 parts badass is medieval hogwash but I say go for it, Starchild.
Using the values for power to weight ratio of the 777 engines, I get a weight of 170 pounds for the engine, which isn't completely insane.
not a good idea to have the propulsion so far away from the center of mass
Is computational stabilization good enough that this isn't such an issue? Or are they relying on the surfer's internal algorithm?
for the engine
Four 250 hp engines, apparently, and two more thrusters for stability.
This news article from last year (on what I assume is a previous version) includes the hilarious news that their first version put the propellers facing upwards. They fixed that because it wasn't working well that way, as opposed to the "rapidly spinning blades inches away from the ankles of someone standing on a highly unstable platform" thing.
When you're deposing someone and he looks dumbfounded, Tigre, do you pause, turn to the camera, and yell "you been....THUNDERSTRUCK"? This is how I picture it.
Meant to add: it's metaphysically impossible that this dude and his hoverboard aren't in the next Bond movie.
This is great but you can fit 1 or 2 sex grottos inside a Lun class ekranoplan and at least 5 or more inside a Caspian Sea Monster, and still have room leftover for a sauna, weight room, and squash court or whatever kids are into these days. I don't think we need choose however as I these would be good for outfitting the hordes of implacable bikini-clad ninja assassins that would be the complement of such an ekranoplan so they could launch themselves from it forthwith en masse.
Why can't we all just get along. You stash 2-3 green goblin jetpacks on the Ekranoplan aft of the sex room and the Komodo Dragon room, and combine awesome with awesome.
Or what Barry said. Always nice to resolve conflict with a productive win-win.
By the way, here's some nice Ekranoplan/Soviet hydrofoil porn. There's at least one actually-existing luxury Ekranoplan owned and operated by a Russian billionaire.
I'd like to refurbish this baby. And I really wanted this one that was up for sale last year.
The Russians are developing a new large ekranoplan, although not quite as big as the Lun. It will carry cruise missiles (and/or billionaires' harems). The Chinese are negotiating to buy some.
Chinese ekranoplans! We really need to up our game.
Here's one for 85k in the Caribbean:
http://www.scrutonmarine.com/PV2131.htm
Nice. I feel like if this blog really stepped up we could probably get together the necessary $85k. Probably at least another $500k in refurbishment costs to make it awesome and then substantial operating costs, but if you need to sell your house to make this happen, you need to sell your house.
There's only room for 71 passengers. Is that really enough?
I guess we'll have to make do with just the one sex grotto.
OK, folks, be honest: If Donald Trump promised to beef up our military with a fleet of US-built ekranoplans, you'd almost consider voting for him, wouldn't you?
There's no denying it would make America great again.
Everything is aft of the sex room: i.e., forecastle.
Can we add in some Zubr-class hovercraft? They'd be a nice addition to the group. Zubr, it's like Uber but for hovercraft.
We disrupt the distinction between land- and sea-based craft.
37: Only a neoliberal has home equity.
I think a few months ago I was checking out Tr/nidad to Venezuela ferry options, and a ride on the boat in 36 up into the Orinoco delta was one of the few available. So I see that business has gone under.
42: Most fo'c'sle never eat a skunk,
But then again, some fo'c'sle,
Like Cletus, the Slack-Jawed Yokel
So, here I am in northwest Ecuador. Tomorrow we are going into the heart of the earthquake damage area. And I've fucking thrown out my back.
Hope you get your strength back quickly.
A couple beers helped a bit. But I think they will wear off by tomorrow.
