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Air Powered Air Propelled Vehicle (APAPV) 
by Paul Krieg
I have been experimenting with the radial and have something new. Earlier I was thinking of
a direct drive vehicle. But">

Engines | Development | Primer | Supplies | Constructopedia | Control |Compressors | Tester | Build | Bibliography | Miscell
 

Air Powered Air Propelled Vehicle (APAPV) 
by Paul Krieg
I have been experimenting with the radial and have something new. Earlier I was thinking of
a direct drive vehicle. But, I had trouble seeing the challenge in that. So, I have built a 6
cylinder Lego pneumatic radial powered fan on wheels. I am only beginning to realize this
application so there are still some things to work out. It normally runs a distance of about 8
feet with a one liter tank. A few times it has gone over 11 feet and I had to stop it from hitting
the wall. Below are a couple of photos of my current project. This is already the second
version. 
Early Version
CS: Wow, the air propelled vehicle is simply great! It's the first of a new class of vehicles - an APAPV for sure.
We could organize a competition for such vehicles if there is sufficient interest.
Maybe it could even incorporate some Mindstorms sensors and use the RCX to control its movements. How about that - the old and the new, together!
Latest Version
PK: Below is the newest version of my air propelled vehicle. It is slightly different from the last one which fell over and sent pieces everywhere. Notice the longer wheel base. This new version will consistently run 9 to 13 feet. 
One of the challenges is making things light and strong. Here is another view to show how this vehicle is put together. Notice the pump is attached to the cross member. There is a half cross axle half pin piece in the pump assembly that fits in a 1 x 6 girder piece on the cross member. The 2 center stud pieces in the sticking up from the cross member keep the pump from swiveling into the propeller. You can see how the the on / off valve is located too. 


Here the pump is removed for pumping air to the tank. you can see the pin / cross axle piece in the pump assembly's base. A long piece of yellow flex tube was an easy way to control the tubing on its way up from the tank to the engine. 
Picture below shows the connection of the upward frame to the engine. Notice on the closer side I used a 2 x 4 plate to help make this connection. On the far side (in the red circle) I had to use 1 x 4 and 2 x 2 plates to keep the propeller from hitting that corner. 


You can better see the connection shown inside the red circle in the previous photo. The clearance of the propeller is tight. 
Last you can see the bottle removed to show how it rests. The rubber band is a simple way to attach a soda bottle. You can see another view of the rubber band in place in the fourth photo down. 

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Updated: 27 Nov 02