Courtesy of boingboing, we learn of Robert Maddox.
He's developed a pulse-jet that can be fitted to a bicycle, and which (he claims) can propel you at 75 mph. It's available on eBay right now. At the time of writing, the high bid was $861.
According to the auction description, it generates 50 pounds of thrust - and 140 decibels of noise! Ear-plugs are not offered as an optional accessory.
I'm afraid the geek in me is fascinated by this. My parents went through the V-1 bombardment of England in 1944/45. The pulse-jets of that first-ever cruise missile remained in their memory forever, and they described to me how they'd wait and listen for the engine to cut out. As long as you could hear it, the V-1 was still flying, and would head away from you. If the engine cut out, it was diving - and the next thing you heard would be the blast of its warhead. If the engine stopped within hearing, the rule was, duck and cover!
If you want to know what it sounded like, this site has a recording of the V-1 flying overhead, its pulse-jet cutting out, and, after a few seconds, the explosion of its warhead. Chilling listening. It helped me understand what my parents went through.
I'm not sure what would happen if I drove a bike with a pulse-jet engine within hearing of my Dad. He'd probably open fire on it out of sheer instinct!
Peter
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