On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:09:08 -0700, toad
wrote:

20kts of wind on the nose. Assume no friction or drag anywhere in the
system apart from the push backwards on the windmill. How fast does it
go. Show your workings.

If it is unobvious that a windmill can power a prop and proceed upwind
consider something similar on land, with a rack and the pinion on the
machine. They do make gear driven railroads, there is one at Pike's
Peak.

Why wouldn't it accellerate indefinitely with no friction anywhere in
the system. In real life, of course, props are not very efficient.

Casady