Pacific Wind's ThrustPac: Bicycle Jet Backpack

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Pacific Wind's "ThrustPac," a personal jet pack designed for bicycles, which claims to provide significant speed and fuel efficiency. Participants explore its potential effectiveness, efficiency, and safety implications, while referencing similar devices and personal experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note the ThrustPac's claimed speed of 25 to 35 miles per hour and fuel efficiency of 150 miles per gallon, questioning the practicality and safety of such a device.
  • One participant compares the ThrustPac to devices created on MythBusters, suggesting that similar propeller systems may not be effective for propulsion.
  • Another participant calculates the efficiency of a 35cc engine, suggesting that achieving 17% efficiency might be feasible but raises concerns about the load on riders.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the overall efficiency of the ThrustPac, proposing that direct integration with a bicycle's crankshaft could yield better performance.
  • There are humorous remarks about the potential dangers of using the device, including the risk of being "smooshed" to the ground or causing accidents.
  • Participants share personal anecdotes and hypothetical scenarios regarding the use of the ThrustPac, including its impact on biking uphill and downhill.
  • One participant expresses disappointment with a demonstration video, suggesting it lacked excitement and anticipated a more dramatic outcome.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the effectiveness or safety of the ThrustPac, with multiple competing views and concerns raised throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various assumptions about engine efficiency, rider capabilities, and safety without resolving these points. The discussion includes speculative elements regarding the device's performance and user experience.

Ivan Seeking
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Bicycle "Jet" Backpack

Think biking/skate/kicking/etc/etc is to strenous? Try the Pacific Wind’s “ThrustPac” it’s personal jet pack that will give you speeds from 25 to 35 miles per hour and it has a range of 150 miles per gallon. It weight 20 pounds and has a 35cc engine. There is not much information on Pacific Wind’s homepage (It kind of sucks) but from the images and the video if looks like you control the device with a finger throttle mounted on a glove.

Check out the demonstration video:
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2....com/2006/10/04/personal-jet-pack/&frame=true

Pacific Wind homepage
http://www.personalpropulsion.com/products.htm
 
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:smile: It looks a lot like those leaf blower contraptions they created on MythBusters to propel their homemade hovercrafts. :smile: As I recall, they had better luck pushing with their hands than with the propellors. :biggrin:

By the way, if it really does get that much thrust, what happens when you don't have very strong abs to keep from being bent over in the middle after turning it on? Do you get smooshed to the ground by it? :devil:
 
Oh come on, you KNOW that you want one! :biggrin:

I was wondering how effective this might really be. Randomly picking a 35cc Honda engine, the output is rated as 1.2KW at 7000 RPM. I know from experience that 300 watts is a pretty heavy load for most riders; with 200 watts being more likely a constant duty level. This would mean that the fan has to be around 17% efficient, which I think might be possible.
 
That has got to be very inefficient. If you were to hook the same 35cc engine straight into the bicycle's crankshaft, I'm sure you'd do a lot better with it. Of course, then you'd have to learn to operate a clutch, and will have reinvented the original mopeds (as opposed to what they call "mopeds" now).
 
150+mpg is common among 200+lb. users on a mountain bike.
Sounds like some Darwin award awaiting to happen.

And: Can we get GW to try one? He's already shown he's not that great at Segwaying.:smile:
 
I think I would opt for some ear plugs.:wink:
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Oh come on, you KNOW that you want one! :biggrin:
Yeah, with one of those, I could get a bike around here and have some hope of getting back UP the mountains once I get down them. :biggrin: :smile: Of course, with that added weight on the way downhill...it might not matter, because I would just make that much bigger of a splat at the bottom. :rolleyes:
 
That video was a bit disappointing. I thought for sure that he was going to T-bone that white car entering the parking lot.
I just might have to build me one of those.
Moonbear, given your, er... predominant features, you don't have to worry about your head hitting the pavement. Not all of us are lucky enough to come with biological airbags.