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103-398: Fantom is a Swedish velomobile with four wheels, two in the front and two in the rear. It has no front suspension , but has suspension in the rear. Fantom was never sold as a finished product. Instead it was sold as a set of drawings. The drawings are not exact and should be used as a guide. Hobbex bought the rights to the drawings and have sold it continuously since the 1940s apart from

206-582: A south-pointing chariot , a vehicle with an early form of guidance system. The stagecoach , a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses, originated in 13th century England. Railways began reappearing in Europe after the Dark Ages . The earliest known record of a railway in Europe from this period is a stained-glass window in the Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau dating from around 1350. In 1515, Cardinal Matthäus Lang wrote

309-504: A wagonway , a predecessor of the railway, found so far was the 6 to 8.5 km (4 to 5 mi) long Diolkos wagonway, which transported boats across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece since around 600 BC. Wheeled vehicles pulled by men and animals ran in grooves in limestone , which provided the track element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended route. In 200 CE, Ma Jun built

412-433: A boost from high altitude winds. Compressed gas is currently an experimental method of storing energy. In this case, compressed gas is simply stored in a tank and released when necessary. Like elastics, they have hysteresis losses when gas heats up during compression. Gravitational potential energy is a form of energy used in gliders, skis, bobsleds and numerous other vehicles that go down hill. Regenerative braking

515-606: A box or bag of dimensions similar to the frame. In turn, this makes velomobiles more difficult to transport. Velomobiles are often built using some standard bicycle parts, but also many parts specific to velomobiles or even specific to a particular make or model. In addition, the bodywork is large and may be around half the weight of a velomobile. Thus, to reduce weight, the body is often made of lighter but more expensive materials. Also, production volumes are low, so for both parts and labor there are not benefits of mass production—as of 2017 , many velomobile makers have yearly production on

618-466: A canopy. Thus, a "high speed" velomobile may benefit most from better aerodynamics, even when aerodynamics hurts rider cooling; while at the same time a "high load" velomobile may benefit most from improved cooling (to maximize power output) even if that hurts aerodynamics. Velomobiles are significantly bulkier than conventional cycles. Further, the bodywork typically cannot be disassembled much, whereas conventional cycles often can be disassembled to fit in

721-414: A car or road-side shrubbery, fences, etc. The fairing on a velomobile sometimes makes it more subject to cross-winds than a similar unfaired cycle. The effect of cross-winds is complicated because the force of the wind can act as a steering force, as-if the rider had tried to steer the cycle. "Wind steer" can be a safety issue and may also hurt performance, as a serpentine path is longer and thus slower than

824-418: A country and even between cities in a region. For example, a specific vehicle may be a "bicycle" in one area, a "low-speed pedal-assisted cycle" in another area, and a " moped " in yet a third. Similarly, going from 3 wheels to 4 wheels can change the category of an otherwise identical vehicle. One reason for the varying treatment is that many laws are older than widespread use of power-assisted velomobiles and so

927-470: A cross-wind hits a fairing, it makes a big force; faired tricycles are less likely to get blown over than faired bicycles. Although three wheels have practical advantages, they also have more aerodynamic drag than two wheels, so land speed record cycles are often bicycles. Although four wheels were used as far back as the Velocar, they are not today common. As of 2017, there is at least one 4-wheel production model,

1030-577: A description of the Reisszug , a funicular railway at the Hohensalzburg Fortress in Austria. The line originally used wooden rails and a hemp haulage rope and was operated by human or animal power, through a treadwheel . 1769: Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is often credited with building the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or automobile in 1769. In Russia, in the 1780s, Ivan Kulibin developed

1133-478: A fabric body or "skin" sewn to fit loosely on closely spaced wires or tubes, then painted or "doped" with a liquid that dries and shrinks the fabric to a tight fit on the wire/tube supports. The approach was used widely on early airplanes , and has the advantage of light weight with relatively low-technology materials. It is sometimes called "bird cage" construction because the support looks similar to closely spaced wires used in construction of bird cages , and because

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1236-846: A fact that the New York Times denied in error . Rocket engines can be particularly simple, sometimes consisting of nothing more than a catalyst, as in the case of a hydrogen peroxide rocket. This makes them an attractive option for vehicles such as jet packs. Despite their simplicity, rocket engines are often dangerous and susceptible to explosions. The fuel they run off may be flammable, poisonous, corrosive or cryogenic. They also suffer from poor efficiency. For these reasons, rocket engines are only used when absolutely necessary. Electric motors are used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles , electric scooters, small boats, subways, trains , trolleybuses , trams and experimental aircraft . Electric motors can be very efficient: over 90% efficiency

1339-410: A few, and some riders report speeds are close to three-wheel velomobiles with highly aerodynamic fairings. Two-wheel "streamliner" configurations can have much less aerodynamic drag: wheels are hard to make aerodynamic; each wheel entry/exit to the fairing adds drag; and velomobiles with two front wheels are necessarily wider or longer than the rider, while two-wheel streamliners can be barely wider than

1442-665: A flight with an actual ornithopter on July 31, 2010. Paddle wheels are used on some older watercraft and their reconstructions. These ships were known as paddle steamers . Because paddle wheels simply push against the water, their design and construction is very simple. The oldest such ship in scheduled service is the Skibladner . Many pedalo boats also use paddle wheels for propulsion. Screw-propelled vehicles are propelled by auger -like cylinders fitted with helical flanges. Because they can produce thrust on both land and water, they are commonly used on all-terrain vehicles. The ZiL-2906

1545-423: A gas station. Fuel cells are similar to batteries in that they convert from chemical to electrical energy, but have their own advantages and disadvantages. Electrified rails and overhead cables are a common source of electrical energy on subways, railways, trams, and trolleybuses. Solar energy is a more modern development, and several solar vehicles have been successfully built and tested, including Helios ,

1648-414: A given level of effort. In some situations, a rider's power output (for any type of cycle) is limited by body temperature, and the worse cooling of a velomobile can limit the rider's power output more than on an unfaired cycle. With an aerodynamic fairing, the velomobile rider at reduced power output may still be faster than an unfaired cycle, due to the lower aerodynamic drag. A velomobile's fairing shields

1751-426: A given terrain, the added weight demands lower gearing and makes the velomobile slower climbing hills than its unfaired counterpart. Some velomobile fairings are mainly for weather protection. However, if the velomobile fairing is substantially streamlined, then improved aerodynamics means the speeds on flats and down hills may be substantially higher than its unfaired counterpart, and often enough faster to make up for

1854-463: A go around is needed. Parachutes are used to slow down vehicles travelling very fast. Parachutes have been used in land, air and space vehicles such as the ThrustSSC , Eurofighter Typhoon and Apollo Command Module . Some older Soviet passenger jets had braking parachutes for emergency landings. Boats use similar devices called sea anchors to maintain stability in rough seas. To further increase

1957-509: A hot exhaust. Trains using turbines are called gas turbine-electric locomotives . Examples of surface vehicles using turbines are M1 Abrams , MTT Turbine SUPERBIKE and the Millennium . Pulse jet engines are similar in many ways to turbojets but have almost no moving parts. For this reason, they were very appealing to vehicle designers in the past; however, their noise, heat, and inefficiency have led to their abandonment. A historical example of

2060-537: A human-pedalled, three-wheeled carriage with modern features such as a flywheel , brake , gear box and bearings ; however, it was not developed further. In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers developed the first balloon vehicle. In 1801, Richard Trevithick built and demonstrated his Puffing Devil road locomotive, which many believe was the first demonstration of a steam-powered road vehicle, though it could not maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods and

2163-443: A longer "tail" on the fairing will increase the total side-wind profile and total side forces, but can reduce the percentage force acting on the steered wheels and so an improve stability in side winds. A larger fairing also hurts weight and has more skin drag ), but as with time-trial bicycles, worse aerodynamics but better handling is sometimes a good trade-off. Velomobiles with fairings that are mainly for weather protection can use

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2266-483: A mass-produced velomobile, which was in the mid-1980s, flopped. This was the Sinclair C5 . The C5 was a delta trike (one front, two rear wheels) with electric assist designed to be mass-produced and sold for a low price. The C5 was poorly designed; it was heavy, had only one gear and had no adjustment for the distance between the pedals and the seat, which is important to get a comfortable pedalling position. A concept and

2369-424: A more upright seating position. This tends to improve both the ability to see and be seen. However, to retain stability against tipping (both cornering and cross-winds), the wheel track needs to be wider than a comparable velomobile with a low seating position. In turn, this may make the velomobile quite a bit wider than a conventional cycle. "Weather" protection includes cold and wet, but also shading from sun. Since

2472-679: A potential assessment concerning low-cost velomobiles for daily short trips as well as strategies for reaching a critical lot size for mass production was the subject of a research project called RegInnoMobil. Velomobiles have also been used in Australian HPV Super Series since 1985, and more recently, other events in Australia like the RACV Energy Breakthrough , the Fraser Coast Technology Challenge , and

2575-485: A premium of 1000 Euros to save 3 kg. In addition, it is often hard to segregate and recycle the FRP materials. But despite the cost and other issues, the aerodynamic and weight advantages mean that (as of 2017) monocoque FRP is a common way to build velomobiles. As of 2017, most velomobiles are tricycles with two front wheels. A tricycle has the advantage over a bicycle that it does not fall over when stopped. In addition, when

2678-572: A range of features—for example, there are Milan models used in racing but also a Milan "cargo" model with enough luggage volume to carry a (not-pedaling) human passenger and other bulky items. All current (2017) velomobiles are produced in low volume, with "big" makers producing one or a few velomobiles per week. Velomobiles use some standard bicycle parts, but also many parts specific to velomobiles, and thus made in low volume. The use of "more parts" (e.g., 3 wheels instead of 2) and "more low-volume" parts makes velomobiles more expensive. The only attempt at

2781-463: A short break in the 1990s. Over 100,000 copies of the drawing were sold, but only ten documented builds were finished. The drawings had no measurements, and if you would follow the blueprints, you would not be able to open the door. In the 1980s the Fantom was rediscovered by Carl-Georg Rasmussen who built a redesigned version called Leitra . This article related to a bicycle manufacturing company

2884-403: A significantly narrower "useful" width, as the road contact is in the center and so the rider's hands/elbows/etc. might overhang the edge of the roadway or path without causing problems. In contrast, the wheel track of a velomobile is very nearly as wide as the vehicle itself, and so cannot overhang the edge. The steered wheels on a velomobile will hit the fairing if steered sharply enough. Making

2987-410: A single wheel is the simplest and lightest approach. Driving both wheels can improve traction but also increases complexity, cost, and weight. A solid axle may be used, but increases friction/drag in corners and thus can slow down the vehicle. One alternative is a differential , which is the approach used in most cars. A second alternative is to use a pair of ratchets, where the slower wheel is driven and

3090-584: A solar-powered aircraft. Nuclear power is a more exclusive form of energy storage, currently limited to large ships and submarines, mostly military. Nuclear energy can be released by a nuclear reactor , nuclear battery , or repeatedly detonating nuclear bombs . There have been two experiments with nuclear-powered aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-119 and the Convair X-6 . Mechanical strain is another method of storing energy, whereby an elastic band or metal spring

3193-407: A special arrangement in which all four main wheels can be angled. Skids can also be used to steer by angling them, as in the case of a snowmobile . Ships, boats, submarines, dirigibles and aeroplanes usually have a rudder for steering. On an airplane, ailerons are used to bank the airplane for directional control, sometimes assisted by the rudder. With no power applied, most vehicles come to

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3296-411: A stop due to friction . But it is often required to stop a vehicle faster than by friction alone, so almost all vehicles are equipped with a braking system. Wheeled vehicles are typically equipped with friction brakes, which use the friction between brake pads (stators) and brake rotors to slow the vehicle. Many airplanes have high-performance versions of the same system in their landing gear for use on

3399-409: A straight line. Thus, a design with inferior aerodynamics may be better overall. For example, it is common for time-trial bicycles to use a solid disk rear wheel for best aerodynamics, and a spoked front wheel that has worse aerodynamics than a disk, but is less likely to steer the bicycle in a cross-wind. Velomobile fairings have analogous concerns, leading to trade-offs in fairing design. For example,

3502-489: A vacuum, which limits their use to spaceborne vehicles. Ion thrusters run primarily off electricity, but they also need a propellant such as caesium , or, more recently xenon . Ion thrusters can achieve extremely high speeds and use little propellant; however, they are power-hungry. The mechanical energy that motors and engines produce must be converted to work by wheels, propellers, nozzles, or similar means. Aside from converting mechanical energy into motion, wheels allow

3605-422: A variety of conditions. One of the difficulties met when using gas motors is the cooling effect of expanding gas. These engines are limited by how quickly they absorb heat from their surroundings. The cooling effect can, however, double as air conditioning. Compressed gas motors also lose effectiveness with falling gas pressure. Ion thrusters are used on some satellites and spacecraft. They are only effective in

3708-528: A vehicle to roll along a surface and, with the exception of railed vehicles, to be steered. Wheels are ancient technology, with specimens being discovered from over 5000 years ago. Wheels are used in a plethora of vehicles, including motor vehicles, armoured personnel carriers , amphibious vehicles, airplanes, trains, skateboards and wheelbarrows. Nozzles are used in conjunction with almost all reaction engines. Vehicles using nozzles include jet aircraft, rockets, and personal watercraft . While most nozzles take

3811-400: A vehicle's steering through the gyroscopic effect . They have been used experimentally in gyrobuses . Wind energy is used by sailboats and land yachts as the primary source of energy. It is very cheap and fairly easy to use, the main issues being dependence on weather and upwind performance. Balloons also rely on the wind to move horizontally. Aircraft flying in the jet stream may get

3914-445: A velomobile is not unlike a bicycle or recumbent. It will consist of a front bottom bracket with one or more chainrings , and a rear derailleur . Depending on the configuration of the velomobile there may be any number of idler pulleys, and chaintubes along the drive train to manage and protect the chain. One of the defining characteristics of most velomobiles is that the chain and drivetrain components are protected from weather and

4017-405: A wide range of shapes, and thus can improve aerodynamics over approaches such as "birdcage" and aluminum-sheet monocoque. FRP can also use fibers with high strength-to-weight ratio that in velomobiles can save several kilograms compared to other designs. A wide range of fibers may be used, but those which reduce weight while retaining strength and toughness often increase the price significantly—e.g.,

4120-405: Is fuel . External combustion engines can use almost anything that burns as fuel, whilst internal combustion engines and rocket engines are designed to burn a specific fuel, typically gasoline, diesel or ethanol . Food is the fuel used to power non-motor vehicles such as cycles, rickshaws and other pedestrian-controlled vehicles. Another common medium for storing energy is batteries , which have

4223-869: Is a machine designed for self- propulsion , usually to transport people, cargo , or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles , tricycles , velomobiles ), animal-powered transports (e.g. horse-drawn carriages / wagons , ox carts , dog sleds ), motor vehicles (e.g. motorcycles , cars , trucks , buses , mobility scooters ) and railed vehicles ( trains , trams and monorails ), but more broadly also includes cable transport ( cable cars and elevators ), watercraft ( ships , boats and underwater vehicles ), amphibious vehicles (e.g. screw-propelled vehicles , hovercraft , seaplanes ), aircraft ( airplanes , helicopters , gliders and aerostats ) and space vehicles ( spacecraft , spaceplanes and launch vehicles ). This article primarily concerns

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4326-485: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Velomobile Though fast in their own right, velomobiles are considered much more suitable for the street than two-wheeled streamliners. Using three or more wheels can have advantages for everyday use, including the ability to stop and start unaided, better stability, cross-wind handling, etc., though there are arguments made that the multiple track machines (three or more wheels) have aerodynamic disadvantages due to

4429-519: Is an example of capturing kinetic energy where the brakes of a vehicle are augmented with a generator or other means of extracting energy. When needed, the energy is taken from the source and consumed by one or more motors or engines. Sometimes there is an intermediate medium, such as the batteries of a diesel submarine. Most motor vehicles have internal combustion engines . They are fairly cheap, easy to maintain, reliable, safe and small. Since these engines burn fuel, they have long ranges but pollute

4532-478: Is common. Electric motors can also be built to be powerful, reliable, low-maintenance and of any size. Electric motors can deliver a range of speeds and torques without necessarily using a gearbox (although it may be more economical to use one). Electric motors are limited in their use chiefly by the difficulty of supplying electricity. Compressed gas motors have been used on some vehicles experimentally. They are simple, efficient, safe, cheap, reliable and operate in

4635-414: Is deformed and releases energy as it is allowed to return to its ground state. Systems employing elastic materials suffer from hysteresis , and metal springs are too dense to be useful in many cases. Flywheels store energy in a spinning mass. Because a light and fast rotor is energetically favorable, flywheels can pose a significant safety hazard. Moreover, flywheels leak energy fairly quickly and affect

4738-438: Is desirable and important in supplying traction to facilitate motion on land. Most land vehicles rely on friction for accelerating, decelerating and changing direction. Sudden reductions in traction can cause loss of control and accidents. Most vehicles, with the notable exception of railed vehicles, have at least one steering mechanism. Wheeled vehicles steer by angling their front or rear wheels. The B-52 Stratofortress has

4841-518: Is never empty , a propeller could be made to work in space. Similarly to propeller vehicles, some vehicles use wings for propulsion. Sailboats and sailplanes are propelled by the forward component of lift generated by their sails/wings. Ornithopters also produce thrust aerodynamically. Ornithopters with large rounded leading edges produce lift by leading-edge suction forces. Research at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies lead to

4944-441: Is provided to assist the driver's leg muscle effort. Most electric-assist propulsion motors are of the in-wheel design in the rear wheel, such as geared hub motors (like eZee, Heinzmann, Bafang, BMC, etc.) and direct-drive hub motors (like Crystalyte, BionX, 9Continent, etc.) but mid-drive units (like Sunstar, Cyclone, Ecospeed, etc.) are used as well due to design constraints in velomobile models with one-sided rear wheel mounting like

5047-577: Is restricted to tip jet helicopters and high speed aircraft such as the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird . Rocket engines are primarily used on rockets, rocket sleds and experimental aircraft. Rocket engines are extremely powerful. The heaviest vehicle ever to leave the ground, the Saturn V rocket, was powered by five F-1 rocket engines generating a combined 180 million horsepower (134.2 gigawatt). Rocket engines also have no need to "push off" anything,

5150-456: Is the Alleweder  [ de ] , using aluminum sheet formed and riveted to make the fairing and the structure in one piece. This approach is sometimes called monocoque or "unit" construction; it was used in airplanes before 1920. Labor costs to build an Alleweder are significant due to the many rivets and rivet holes. Also, the choices of aerodynamic shapes are limited by the formability of

5253-497: Is the most-produced helicopter. The top commercial jet airliner is the Boeing 737 , at about 10,000 in 2018. At around 14,000 for both, the most produced trams are the KTM-5 and Tatra T3 . The most common trolleybus is ZiU-9 . Locomotion consists of a means that allows displacement with little opposition, a power source to provide the required kinetic energy and a means to control

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5356-545: The QuattroVelo . Four wheels tends to further hurt aerodynamics and weight compared to three; but for a given width, four wheels is much more laterally stable than three wheels. Also, four wheels can be placed in a way that increases luggage capacity a lot compared to three-wheel designs. Most velomobiles drive the rear wheel(s). This approach is simple and can often use many standard bicycle parts. Velomobiles with two rear wheels may drive just one wheel, or may drive both. Driving

5459-565: The Victorian HPV Series . In 2018, Dave Lewis set a new race record at the Sebring 24 hour race using a DF velomobile made by Intercitybike.nl. Velomobiles also competed in the ultra endurance Trans Am Bike race and came in 1st (setting a new record) and 4th places. 1st place was Marcel Graber and 4th Dave Lewis. In 2010 the Milan SL was used by Christian von Ascheberg , to set a record in

5562-635: The 24 hours (1219 km) and 1000 km (19h27m) category. In 2015 Petra von Fintel set a 24 hours world record at 1012km in a Milan SL In 2022 Nicola Walde set the current 24 hours world record at 1130km In summer 2023 Matthias König set a new 6 hour world record in a Snoek (388km) while Ruben Schütz set a new 24 hours record (1256 km) in a Milan SL Mk7 at the Record Weekend in Aldehoven. The velomobile fairing adds weight compared to standard upright cycles or unfaired recumbent cycles. For

5665-918: The DIY velomobiles from kits tend to be less expensive. Probably the most built velomobile kits were the various models of the Alleweder made from prefabricated aluminium sheet metal due to its affordable price. Due to low demand, the Alleweder A4 kit was discontinued in 2020. As of 2024, no major velomobile manufacturer offers velomobile kits. Many amateur velomobile builders are also recumbent bike riders. In more recent years many online velomobile groups, some of them focusing on specific regions, have appeared, on Facebook and on other platforms. Velomobile Seminars online - resources available for free download, mostly in English with some German language material. Vehicle A vehicle (from Latin vehiculum )

5768-520: The Quest, Strada and Mango or front wheel drive in the Velayo, or better efficiency by using the multiple speeds of the chain drive or internal geared hubs (e.g. Rohloff 14 speed hub). While an electric-assist unit does add extra weight to the velomobile, it is somewhat offset by the flexibility it also provides, especially during hill climbs and stop-and-go traffic. Due to vastly better aerodynamics of velomobiles

5871-863: The advantages of being responsive, useful in a wide range of power levels, environmentally friendly, efficient, simple to install, and easy to maintain. Batteries also facilitate the use of electric motors, which have their own advantages. On the other hand, batteries have low energy densities, short service life, poor performance at extreme temperatures, long charging times, and difficulties with disposal (although they can usually be recycled). Like fuel, batteries store chemical energy and can cause burns and poisoning in event of an accident. Batteries also lose effectiveness with time. The issue of charge time can be resolved by swapping discharged batteries with charged ones; however, this incurs additional hardware costs and may be impractical for larger batteries. Moreover, there must be standard batteries for battery swapping to work at

5974-458: The air, causing harmful acid rain . While intermittent internal combustion engines were once the primary means of aircraft propulsion, they have been largely superseded by continuous internal combustion engines, such as gas turbines . Turbine engines are light and, particularly when used on aircraft, efficient. On the other hand, they cost more and require careful maintenance. They can also be damaged by ingesting foreign objects, and they produce

6077-417: The aircraft when retracted. Reverse thrust is also used in many aeroplane engines. Propeller aircraft achieve reverse thrust by reversing the pitch of the propellers, while jet aircraft do so by redirecting their engine exhausts forward. On aircraft carriers , arresting gears are used to stop an aircraft. Pilots may even apply full forward throttle on touchdown, in case the arresting gear does not catch and

6180-524: The aluminum sheet. That said, aluminum is relatively inexpensive, and as of 2017 Alleweders can be often be bought for less than other designs; they can also be bought as kits, to reduce out-of-pocket cost. Aluminum can also be repaired relatively easily, and aluminum, which is homogeneous, can be recycled more easily than many composite materials. Another common modern design is a monocoque shell, often made of fiber-reinforced plastic or "FRP", plus sub-frames of welded aluminum tubes. FRP can be used to produce

6283-402: The amount and the kinds of grit landing on the drivetrain. Some cycles use tooth-belt drive, which is less affected by grit, is quieter than a chain, and may be lighter. However, belts are only available in pre-selected sizes. Many recumbent cycles, including most velomobiles, have a long drivetrain for which no suitable tooth belts are available. Velomobile bodies are typically light enough that

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6386-400: The body may be of any construction, as it does not need to be self-supporting, and various bodies can be used with various frames. Also, the body may be removed so the cycle alone can be used. However, the overall weight of body-on-frame is often higher than alternatives, as the body does have some intrinsic strength, yet this is not used to reduce the weight of the frame. Another modern design

6489-482: The center of mass is similar to the center of mass on an unfaired recumbent cycle. This makes cornering stability similar to similar unfaired cycles. However, minimizing velomobile width also contributes to reduced frontal area and thus drag; so there is an additional incentive to make the velomobile narrow. The narrowest velomobiles are only slightly wider than the rider's shoulders, and so the width approaches that of an upright bicycle. However, an upright bicycle still has

6592-582: The drag of the extra wheels and the surface contact points. In practice though, velomobiles continue to be close to their two-wheel cousins in performance. There are few velomobile manufacturers ; some are home-built. Some models have the operator's head exposed; this has the advantage of giving the operator unobstructed vision, hearing, and some cooling, with the disadvantage of being potentially more exposed to weather and less aerodynamic. Fully enclosed machines can suffer from heat or humidity issues as well as potential noise issues. The typical drive train of

6695-422: The drivetrain from weather, as well as the rider. Drivetrain maintenance is often reduced compared to other cycles, especially unfaired bicycles, where the front wheel kicks up grit-containing dust, mud, and dirty water that lands directly on the chain and increases the rate of abrasive wear on the drivetrain—including chain and sprockets, but sometimes also derailleurs. The fairing of a velomobile tends to limit both

6798-420: The economy improved and people chose automobiles . Builders continued to make "one-off" velomobiles, but for a time none were available commercially. In the 1970s, Carl-Georg Rasmussen rediscovered Fantomen ; he redesigned it and in 1983 started selling a production version called Leitra . Leitra velomobiles have been in continuous production since then (as of 2017), with current models evolved/improved from

6901-410: The environment. A related engine is the external combustion engine . An example of this is the steam engine. Aside from fuel, steam engines also need water, making them impractical for some purposes. Steam engines also need time to warm up, whereas IC engines can usually run right after being started, although this may not be recommended in cold conditions. Steam engines burning coal release sulfur into

7004-427: The fairing wider can give space to steer the wheels more sharply, but has down-sides for aerodynamics and width. Although sharp steering is not needed at speed, many aerodynamic velomobiles have a much worse turning circle than an equivalent unfaired cycle. In contrast an unfaired cycle cannot have fairing interference, and so even with the same wheel and rider configuration can steer a much tighter circle. Steering only

7107-476: The faster wheel coasts. Rear drive often uses "idler" pulleys to route the chain; front-wheel drive can eliminate idlers, so offers less friction and also less weight. It can also increase luggage capacity. However, front drive with two front wheels uses some non-standard components, and as of 2017 is used only rarely. As with other cycles, a velomobile may use suspension. Suspension tends to improve rider comfort, and can also improve speed—it takes energy to "bounce"

7210-625: The first large-scale rocket program. The Opel RAK.1 became the first rocket car ; the following year, it also became the first rocket-powered aircraft . In 1961, the Soviet space program 's Vostok 1 carried Yuri Gagarin into space. In 1969, NASA 's Apollo 11 achieved the first Moon landing . In 2010, the number of motor vehicles in operation worldwide surpassed 1 billion, roughly one for every seven people. There are over 1 billion bicycles in use worldwide. In 2002 there were an estimated 590 million cars and 205 million motorcycles in service in

7313-650: The first sustained, controlled, reproducible flights. In 1903, the Wright brothers flew the Wright Flyer , the first controlled, powered aircraft, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina . In 1907, Gyroplane No.I became the first tethered rotorcraft to fly. The same year, the Cornu helicopter became the first rotorcraft to achieve free flight. In 1928, Opel initiated the Opel-RAK program,

7416-418: The ground. A Boeing 757 brake, for example, has 3 stators and 4 rotors. The Space Shuttle also uses frictional brakes on its wheels. As well as frictional brakes, hybrid and electric cars, trolleybuses and electric bicycles can also use regenerative brakes to recycle some of the vehicle's potential energy. High-speed trains sometimes use frictionless Eddy-current brakes ; however, widespread application of

7519-448: The laws were not written to consider such vehicles. In some areas, laws are being rewritten to include power-assist velomobiles and to harmonize treatment with nearby laws. With a growing DIY -community and an increasing interest in environmentally friendly " green energy ", some hobbyists have endeavored to build their own velomobiles from kits, sourced components, or from scratch. When compared to similar sized commercial velomobiles,

7622-614: The more ubiquitous land vehicles, which can be broadly classified by the type of contact interface with the ground : wheels , tracks , rails or skis , as well as the non-contact technologies such as maglev . ISO 3833-1977 is the international standard for road vehicle types, terms and definitions. It is estimated by historians that boats have been used since prehistory ; rock paintings depicting boats, dated from around 50,000 to 15,000 BC, were found in Australia . The oldest boats found by archaeological excavation are logboats , with

7725-483: The motion, such as a brake and steering system. By far, most vehicles use wheels which employ the principle of rolling to enable displacement with very little rolling friction . It is essential that a vehicle have a source of energy to drive it. Energy can be extracted from external sources, as in the cases of a sailboat , a solar-powered car , or an electric streetcar that uses overhead lines. Energy can also be stored, provided it can be converted on demand and

7828-454: The negative features, such as a complex, heavy and badly spaced three-speed gear box, ineffective brakes , and pedals that slid on sleeve bearings on steel shafts, which made it difficult to use as an everyday vehicle. In Sweden , a two-seat design called Fantom was sold as blueprints and became very popular; over 100,000 copies of the blueprints were sold, but few were actually completed. The downfall of these early 'bicycle' cars came when

7931-683: The oldest logboat found, the Pesse canoe found in a bog in the Netherlands, being carbon dated to 8040–7510 BC, making it 9,500–10,000 years old, A 7,000 year-old seagoing boat made from reeds and tar has been found in Kuwait. Boats were used between 4000 -3000 BC in Sumer , ancient Egypt and in the Indian Ocean. There is evidence of camel pulled wheeled vehicles about 4000–3000 BC. The earliest evidence of

8034-455: The order of tens or maybe a few hundred velomobiles. Taken together, these factors mean velomobiles are often much more expensive than other cycle types. As an example of prices and price/weight tradeoffs, as of April 2017 the maker Trisled offers their "Rotovelo" model either with a rotational molded plastic fairing or with a carbon fiber fairing (as well as some other weight-saving changes). The body shapes and underlying framework are similar;

8137-419: The originals. There are many ways to build a velomobile. One modern design is "body-on-frame", in which a velomobile is made from a not-faired cycle plus a body. A standard cycle may be used, but often a custom cycle is used with special fittings to mount the body; the use of special fittings tends to improve fit and durability, and can also reduce weight. Body-on-frame construction allows flexible configuration:

8240-466: The propeller has been tested on many terrestrial vehicles, including the Schienenzeppelin train and numerous cars. In modern times, propellers are most prevalent on watercraft and aircraft, as well as some amphibious vehicles such as hovercraft and ground-effect vehicles . Intuitively, propellers cannot work in space as there is no working fluid; however, some sources have suggested that since space

8343-504: The range of a similar electric assist unit and similar battery in a velomobile can be about 50% to 100% higher compared to upright bicycles or unfaired recumbents. In events like the RACV Energy Breakthrough and the Fraser Coast Technology Challenge , there are entire categories dedicated to electric and other hybrid powered velomobiles. The legal definition of "bicycle" often includes velomobiles, but laws covering cycles with electric assist vary widely across countries and often within

8446-463: The rate of deceleration or where the brakes have failed, several mechanisms can be used to stop a vehicle. Cars and rolling stock usually have hand brakes that, while designed to secure an already parked vehicle, can provide limited braking should the primary brakes fail. A secondary procedure called forward-slip is sometimes used to slow airplanes by flying at an angle, causing more drag. Motor vehicle and trailer categories are defined according to

8549-418: The rear wheel(s) would avoid fairing interference, but it is hard to build a stable vehicle using only rear-wheel steering . The Velayo uses a tricycle configuration and steers only the rear wheel; but it is produced only in small numbers. The experimental Kingsbury Fortuna and Quattro velomobiles steered all wheels ; this approach avoids some of the stability problems of rear-wheel steering while still reducing

8652-428: The rider is doing work, it is typically desirable to have at least some cooling. Many velomobiles have vents and ducts which allow cooling while keeping out water; and the ducts/vents may be closed or covered in cold weather so the rider can stay comfortable even without a secondary heat source. In warm and hot weather, the fairing provides sun protection, but blocks the rider from cooling air, and so may be much warmer for

8755-499: The rider. A common way to describe aerodynamic drag is "CdA"; in one comparison of racing cycles, there were several two-wheel streamliners with less than half the CdA drag of the best three-wheeler. Air drag is most significant for high-speed events; as of 2016, the world record for a 200-metre sprint on near-level ground is about 145 km/h for a two-wheel streamliner and about 120 km/h for any vehicle with more than two wheels, meaning

8858-403: The road. Before World War II, Charles Mochet  [ fr ] built a small four-wheeled 'bike'-car for his son. Mochet built many models of small vehicles called " Velocar ". Some models had two seats, most were pedal powered, but as the years went by, many were fitted with small engines . Mochet Velocars use a thin wood/plywood body on a steel frame. Some other early velomobiles use

8961-426: The rotational-molded version weighs 33 kilograms and has a list price of Au$ 6500, while the carbon fiber version weighs 20 kilograms and has a list price of Au$ 10900. Much of the cycle-related infrastructure design is based on the typical configuration of an upright bicycle. For example, multi-modal transportation such as bike/train/bike routes often use bicycle racks in the train, and the dimensions of racks and also

9064-565: The shape of a cone or bell , some unorthodox designs have been created such as the aerospike . Some nozzles are intangible, such as the electromagnetic field nozzle of a vectored ion thruster. Continuous track is sometimes used instead of wheels to power land vehicles. Continuous track has the advantages of a larger contact area, easy repairs on small damage, and high maneuverability. Examples of vehicles using continuous tracks are tanks, snowmobiles and excavators. Two continuous tracks used together allow for steering. The largest land vehicle in

9167-441: The slower climbing due to weight. An aerodynamic fairing must be well-shaped, but minimizing the frontal area of the velomobile is also important to reduced drag: a fairing with half the frontal area may approach half the air drag. In turn, aerodynamic velomobiles use a laid-back or recumbent riding position, with the rider's head much lower than on regular bicycles. In turn, velomobile is much easier to accidentally "hide" behind

9270-526: The steering angle of the front wheels. However, this approach has not (as of 2017) gained wider use in velomobiles. As of 2017, most velomobiles use a tadpole recumbent tricycle configuration — mainly to reduce component weight and improve wheel aerodynamics. However, some use a four-wheel or quadracycle configuration. The extra wheel significantly improves cornering stability and can also improve luggage capacity. As of 2017 there are not many four-wheel velomobiles with highly aerodynamic fairings, but there are

9373-462: The storing medium's energy density and power density are sufficient to meet the vehicle's needs. Human power is a simple source of energy that requires nothing more than humans. Despite the fact that humans cannot exceed 500 W (0.67 hp) for meaningful amounts of time, the land speed record for human-powered vehicles (unpaced) is 133 km/h (83 mph), as of 2009 on a recumbent bicycle . The energy source used to power vehicles

9476-440: The technology has been limited by overheating and interference issues. Aside from landing gear brakes, most large aircraft have other ways of decelerating. In aircraft, air brakes are aerodynamic surfaces that provide braking force by increasing the frontal cross section, thus increasing the increasing the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft. These are usually implemented as flaps that oppose air flow when extended and are flush with

9579-433: The train ingress/egress assume a conventional cycle. Similarly, cycle paths often have bollards or S-bend paths to prevent motor vehicle entry, and the entry is often spaced for upright bicycles, but may be too narrow or require too sharp of a turn to allow through some velomobiles. Some velomobiles have been converted to provide electric assist. Electric assist means that a small battery-operated electric-propulsion system

9682-463: The two-wheel vehicle was about 20% faster. Aerodynamic power is roughly cubic in speed, so at lower speeds the difference is much less pronounced. At the same time, two-wheel streamliners require a way to stay upright when stopped and at very low speed, and are more sensitive to blowing over in cross-winds. These factors limit the use of streamliners, despite their aerodynamic advantage. Velomobiles for cargo use often have heavy frames to carry load, plus

9785-541: The use of a pulse jet was the V-1 flying bomb . Pulse jets are still occasionally used in amateur experiments. With the advent of modern technology, the pulse detonation engine has become practical and was successfully tested on a Rutan VariEze . While the pulse detonation engine is much more efficient than the pulse jet and even turbine engines, it still suffers from extreme noise and vibration levels. Ramjets also have few moving parts, but they only work at high speed, so their use

9888-1005: The velomobile and rider, so a suspension can reduce the energy lost to bouncing. However, suspension adds cost, weight, and maintenance. Common velomobile designs include no suspension, front-only suspension, and front+rear suspension. As of 2017, there are several commercial makers of velomobiles. At the same time, there are still many "one-off" makers. Individual designs (both one-off and production) emphasize specific features. For example, some emphasize aerodynamics and light weight to improve average speed, even if cost, ease of entry/exit, comfort, and other "practical vehicle" attributes are reduced. By analogy, many automobile makers make performance cars with limited seating and cargo and worse emissions and fuel economy. In contrast, other velomobile designs sacrifice performance features in order to improve cost, entry/exit, comfort, carrying capacity, and so on. By analogy, many automobile makers offer cargo vans. As of 2017, individual makers sometimes offer models spanning

9991-461: The weight of the cargo itself. In turn, the weight of the fairing may be relatively less important. Also, bulky loads often have poor aerodynamics, and so the quality of aerodynamics of the fairing is less important. This may enable use of a fairing which in hot weather can be converted to a canopy. A canopy provides no aerodynamic benefits, but improves cooling compared to a faired configuration, while also reducing sun exposure compared to riding without

10094-509: The wire/tube support outline shows through once the fabric is tight. Some disadvantages of this approach are the cost of construction, due to the many interconnected supports; and that the shape is that of many flat panels, which limits smoothness of the skin and thus limits the aerodynamics. In the 1970s, the People Powered Vehicle was produced. It was a two-seat, "sociable" tandem with a steel sub frame and molded plastic body. It

10197-464: The world, the Bagger 293 , is propelled by continuous tracks. Propellers (as well as screws, fans and rotors) are used to move through a fluid. Propellers have been used as toys since ancient times; however, it was Leonardo da Vinci who devised what was one of the earliest propeller driven vehicles, the "aerial-screw". In 1661, Toogood & Hays adopted the screw for use as a ship propeller. Since then,

10300-642: The world. At least 500 million Chinese Flying Pigeon bicycles have been made, more than any other single model of vehicle. The most-produced model of motor vehicle is the Honda Super Cub motorcycle, having sold 60 million units in 2008. The most-produced car model is the Toyota Corolla , with at least 35 million made by 2010. The most common fixed-wing airplane is the Cessna 172 , with about 44,000 having been made as of 2017. The Soviet Mil Mi-8 , at 17,000,

10403-630: Was a Soviet-designed screw-propelled vehicle designed to retrieve cosmonauts from the Siberian wilderness. All or almost all of the useful energy produced by the engine is usually dissipated as friction; so minimizing frictional losses is very important in many vehicles. The main sources of friction are rolling friction and fluid drag (air drag or water drag). Wheels have low bearing friction, and pneumatic tires give low rolling friction. Steel wheels on steel tracks are lower still. Aerodynamic drag can be reduced by streamlined design features. Friction

10506-644: Was of little practical use. In 1817, The Laufmaschine ("running machine"), invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais , became the first human means of transport to make use of the two-wheeler principle . It is regarded as the forerunner of the modern bicycle (and motorcycle). In 1885, Karl Benz built (and subsequently patented) the Benz Patent-Motorwagen , the first automobile, powered by his own four-stroke cycle gasoline engine . In 1885, Otto Lilienthal began experimental gliding and achieved

10609-407: Was well designed and weighed something over 50 kg (110 lb ); a recently restored version weighs 59 kg or 130 lb. However, it had flaws in the execution that doomed it as a practical, everyday vehicle . Positive features, such as easily adjustable and comfortable seats, independent pedalling for both passenger and driver, adequate cargo space and relatively good weather protection, could not overcome

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