Product: Umbrella: Wind
Turbobrella   (+5)  [vote for, against]
There *must* be a Jane Fonda joke in here somewhere....

In order to abate the complications of carrying your standard umbrella (being mistaken for being English for example) the TurboBrella has no furled canopy, it's a simpl(ish) looking metal walking stick; but flick the switch in the handle and interesting things start to happen...

At the tip a small upwards-facing jet engine ignites, spools up to 40K rpm and through an adjustable tip shoots hot air outwards and downwards in a conical shape thus protecting the bearer from inclement weather. Providing more fuel to the engine can extend coverage up to a metre radius, while varying the tip geometry changes the angle of the protective air canopy.

Further adjustments can also allow the operator to use the Turbobrella as a leaf-blower or with the optional afterburner attachment, a rather impressive flamethrower.

Electronics in the handle and fuel in the shaft of course.
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 04 2009

Vehicular version. Rain_20Blaster
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 05 2009]

"Barbarella" you chronologically-challenged person, you.
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 04 2009


The intake air is taken from underneath the air-canopy so Mary Poppins would have to walk.
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 04 2009


air canopy
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 04 2009


With vector thrust, this would also make stick fighting much more powerful, and give laser-sword sound effects. Greatness.
-- loonquawl, Apr 05 2009


I would imagine that overheating, size and weight are major issues.
-- salyers5, Apr 05 2009


Just don't sell any to the North Koreans please. Sounds potentially dangerous.
-- blissmiss, Apr 05 2009


If this thing is capable of vaporising a thunderstorm's worth of rain as fast as it's falling, I hate to think what it could do to an innocent bystander if you accidentally flail it. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to poke you in the eye' becomes 'Oops... ahh well, the decapitated look is all the rage these days'.

Also, - on the fuel usage front. The concept I do like though.
-- Skrewloose, Apr 05 2009


//If this thing is capable of vaporising//
what? nonono, it doesn't vapourize the rain it just deflects it.
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 05 2009



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