I'm now half convinced that a "faster than the wind" wind-based aircraft is theoretically possible. It would need to be made of absurdly strong & lightweight materials though.

but with this one, the propellor is attached via gears to the wheels, so I don't think it would work if the wheels left the ground.

Understood, but I feel there should be some sort of equivalent - something which could go under the aircraft to capture the forward movement / airflow under the craft, and convert that via chain drive to propellers on the top of the craft.

The best way I could think of to look at this is that the vehicle has very little mechanical drag so it accelerates to the speed of the wind, at which point it becomes static with respect to the wind speed, but the ground is essentially running back under it rotating the wheels ant thereby the propeller.

It still seems very counter-intuitive, unless there is a lot of inertia involved, that this would work so well.

I love how this bends my brain and makes me think.
Thank you!

*Promote

BTW, isn't "Joby" the company that just went public in a SPAC in Silicon Valley that was valued at around $6 billion? and is proposing a multi passenger electric taxi helicopter/plane that has actually gotten some flights in?

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Saturday, May 29th, 2021 3:19pm PDT - promote requested by SFOGuy.

I figure the simulation of the two sailboats tacking helically along the cylindrical ocean is the best representation of the forces involved.

The wheels act like a keel for the "tacking" blades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_soaring

Back in January, someone got their RC glider up to 548mph in winds gusting to 65 mph.

Physics Professor loses $10k, face, to Veritasium has been added as a related post - related requested by ant on that post.