Well yeah, because the sail is not needed at all, you just need the fan.
A jet engine is just a very powerful fan anyway, so nothing else is needed.
The sail would just be a very inefficient reverser.
Comment on why do reverse thrusters work on an airplane, but a fan on a sailboat doesn't work?
gastroglizzy@piefed.social 5 hours ago“The idea works if you just remove this half and reverse the other half.”
Well yeah, because the sail is not needed at all, you just need the fan.
A jet engine is just a very powerful fan anyway, so nothing else is needed.
The sail would just be a very inefficient reverser.
Yeah, so inefficient as to be completely ineffective. In other words, “it doesn’t work”.
No, it’s not completely ineffective, just very ineffective.
If you blow enough air a sufficient sturdy sail you can absolutely generate trust from the airflow the sail deflects.
But you’ll be more efficient if you remove the sail and just point the fan in the other direction.
You’d be even more efficient if you put the fan under the boat and push the water instead of the air.
Kyrias@lemmy.ca 5 hours ago
I prefer Lemmy to Reddit but the userbase here is way more insufferable.
cattywampas@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
It’s a venn diagram of people banned from reddit and people who think they’re too good for reddit, what do you expect.
Kyrias@lemmy.ca 3 hours ago
Haha, good point.
Just wait, what does that make us?
cattywampas@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Insufferable.