US Engineer Repeats Russian Stunt With Skis and Propeller Backpack (VIDEO)

An American tinkerer has impressed his Youtube followers by building his very own backpack propeller, for use with skis. However, he wasn't the first: nearly six years ago, the same feat was accomplished by an inventor from central Russia.

Samm Sheperd, an engineer and flight instructor from Santa Cruz, California, strapped a giant fan to his back and went skiing on his YouTube channel on December 21. The video shows him cruising down a snow-covered road while the motor roars behind him.

“The feeling of power pushing and twisting into your back is so addicting,” he can be heard narrating.

Assembled out of a range of basic components such as a 50cc motor, a propeller and a battery, the device is worn attached to a backpack and controlled with a handheld transmitter.

However, Sheperd cannot be called the father of the propeller backpack. In January 2011, this novel means of transportation was first developed and tested by Russian inventor Sergei Khvalin, from Dzerzhinsk in central Russia.

Mr. Sheperd does not specify if he was inspired by Khvalin’s experience. Nor did he announce any plans to further develop the propeller backpack for commercial use.

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