Video: Richard Jenkins sets land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle

Posted on 30 March 2009. Tags: featured, Greenbird, lahe Ivanpah, Richard Jenkins, speed record, wind-powered vehicle

Decade ago American Bob Scumacher set a land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle. For 10 years Richard Jenkins has been trying to break that record.

Last Thursday Mr. Jenkins succeeded and managed to break the current record with a speed of 126.1 mph (202 km/h) on his Ecotricity Greenbird.

He hit 126.1 mph with wind blowing just at 30 mph.

“It has been an incredibly difficult challenge,” Jenkins said in a statement issued Friday. “Everything came together perfectly and the Greenbird stepped up to the mark and performed amazingly. I am absolutely delighted.”

How did he do it? Instead of a conventional sail Greenbird uses a rigid wing. This wing produces thrust in a same way that an airplane wing produces lift.

To keep the weight down it is made almost entirely out of carbon composite materials.

Mr. Jenkins has been traveling the world for years in search for the right weather conditions. His record breaking run took place outside of Las Vegas on the dried out lahe Ivanpah. On the same lake Bob Scumacher took his Iron Duck to 116 mph ten years ago in March.

126 mph does not that fast, but to get to such speed with no engine using just the wind is amazing. Take a look at the video and pics of the Greenbird below.

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