Pictures on Tornado Attack Website

[Shane Adams]

If Tim Samaris' turtles can do it, I don't see why this thing couldn't. Tim's turtle probes are light enough for a person to carry alone, and they've made it through some pretty intens tornadoes. I don't think this car thingy would do any worse.

The only problem I see isn't with the design so much as it is the basic size/weight of the remote probe; if it were to become airborne, that's a pretty lethal missle to by flying around.

 

[Marc Grant]

If Tim Samaris' turtles can do it, I don't see why this thing couldn't. Tim's turtle probes are light enough for a person to carry alone, and they've made it through some pretty intens tornadoes. I don't think this car thingy would do any worse.

The only problem I see isn't with the design so much as it is the basic size/weight of the remote probe; if it were to become airborne, that's a pretty lethal missle to by flying around.

I remember one or more of the turtles being lifted and blown away from where they were laid down and landed with enough force to cut a gouge in a gravel road. Does anyone else remember this?

 

[Tim Samaras]

Marc:

The probe that got "blown away" was the media probe that belong to National Geographic on June 24, 2003. It was a triangle thing with flat sides..and the wind sucked it up like a kid slurping soup from a bowl! None my probes have been lost.....yet!

Tim Samaras

 

[Dan Robinson]

I remember from Tim's presentation in Denver the impressive pictures of the road where one of the probes had been set down. All of the gravel on the road had been scoured away except for a perfect circle where the probe rested.

 

[Glen Romine]

Marc:

The probe that got "blown away" was the media probe that belong to National Geographic on June 24, 2003. It was a triangle thing with flat sides..and the wind sucked it up like a kid slurping soup from a bowl! None my probes have been lost.....yet!

Tim Samaras

Tim,

I was wondering if you ever tested the idea of dimpling the top of the probe to reduce air resistance (like as is done for golf balls to increase flight). Maybe it could help, or not. Guess your design hasn't met it's match yet - best of luck!

Glen

 

[Shane Adams]

Sorry I mispelled your name there Tim

 

[Kyle Masters]

These guys know the general public and media don't know crap about storms, so their limitations as far as marketing are, well, limitless.

I wouldn't see a problem with at least SOME type of public campaign (tv, radio, what have you) about what we do, why we do it, and what "real" storm chasers look for. The scientific research of tornados/thunderstorms and the general wellbeing of the public.

 

[Tim Samaras]

Glen:

It seems the current design seems the best. We have thought about "roughing up" the surface, but we were very limited to only two test models due to the cost of the wind tunnel time. Great idea..someday we'll give it a try!

Dan:

Yep, you are correct. After tornado passage, the gravel was all scoured out leaving the probe/gravel under in tact. Actually, the wind "pushes" the probe into the soil. Key to success is the edge of the probe sort of "digging" into the soil when deployed. Otherwise, it will flip like a hubcap!

Shane:

No problem! Glad to hear you had a great season!

Tim Samaras

 

[Marc Grant]

Originally posted by Tim Samaras
Marc:

The probe that got \"blown away\" was the media probe that belong to National Geographic on June 24, 2003. It was a triangle thing with flat sides..and the wind sucked it up like a kid slurping soup from a bowl! None my probes have been lost.....yet!

Tim Samaras

Hey Tim...... thanks for the clarification.

 

[Bill Tabor]

The comment about "Oh, and finally - an F4 or greater tornado doesn't care if it's a tank, or a train, or a semi. You really should do some reading....." doesn't take into consideration that a box car and a semi have a huge amount of surface area to catch the wind. We don't see locomotives thrown about from tornados.

Here's an F3 tornado / train incident that occurred back in May '97 (Jarrell day) down the street from me in Cedar Park, Tx.

"A historic train located on the north side of CR 180 just to the east of US 183 was in the direct path of the tornado. While the engine remained on the track, a coal tender converted to hold diesel fuel and weighing approximately 65,000 pounds including the 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel was flipped over and thrown a short distance."

http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dl...howEvent~311089

 

[Bill Tabor]

Ok all, what do ya think? pick it apart, make it better, whatever... Do you think this would be a better design than their current one??

I think the airflow design is mostly appropriate although a circle might be better than ellipse so. I believe as long as this is flat against the ground then air should travel across it and keep it forced down. However by the Bernoulli effect if air ever gets under it then it becomes a flying wing because of the curvature of the upper surface. I'm kicking around the idea of having 'overpressure' emanating from the bottom of the vehicle which would prevent air from getting under.

Just a thought.

 

[Bill Tabor]

I'm kicking around the idea of having 'overpressure' emanating from the bottom of the vehicle which would prevent air from getting under.

I just realized this would make it a hovercraft. Perhaps a hovercraft shaped similarly to your design, or Tim's turtles would be effective. Not sure how you would propel it though. It would have to have enough resistance to travel to not be blown away (horizontally) from the high winds it was in.