"Mike Hord" wrote:
>> http://jlnlabs.imars.com/lifters/vacuum/index.htm
>
> I find that unsatisfying.  Remember, the field lines from the wire will be
> the same regardless of the presence of air, and presumably the flow of
> ions would follow the field lines and bend around the tube.
>
> As for the part where the aluminum plate jumped up toward the wire,
> OF COURSE IT DID.  It was charged to 15 kV wrt to the wire.  That's
> how a tesla coil makes your hair stand on end and balloons stick to
> your back.

Sorry, I did not see your post until after I submitted mine. :-(

> The real test, then is to build a lifter where the aluminum "plate" and 
> the
> wire "plate" are seperated by a surface which prevents the flow of air
> entirely.

He does have something like that, "UNlinked Lifter fully enclosed in a box":

http://jlnlabs.imars.com/lifters/inthebox/index.htm

However, this experiment can also easily be explained by the electrostatic 
force.

> Or, operate the entire aparatus in a vacuum.  ISS project,
> anyone?

Now, that *would* prove it conclusively.

> If that surface happened to have a fairly high dielectric constant with 
> only
> a minimal mass (say, a slab of aerogel) we'd have a good test of the
> concept, and of whether the capacitance has a direct effect on the thrust
> generated.

Hm.. that's a good idea.

I haven't been following the developments -- has anyone actually succeeded 
in building a lifter with an on-board power source? Now, THAT would be cool.

Vitaliy 

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