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Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Les H who wrote (2055)	7/6/2000 9:45:04 AM
From: Les H	Respond to of 436258

Oil Set to Spike on New Gas-Powered Vehicle Gas-Powered Shoes in Russia By ANDREW KRAMER= Associated Press Writer=MOSCOW (AP) _ His fashion sense isn't as elegant as Gucci's, but Roman Kunikov says his gasoline-powered boots are a step forward in footwear _ as much as 13 feet per stride. Kunikov is one of the professors at a Russian engineering institute who designed the boots that were tested Tuesday in a public square in Ufa, 750 miles southeast of Moscow. The test showed that wearers can achieve speeds of up to 25 mph, Kunikov said in a telephone interview. The boots incorporate one-foot pistons that strap along the calf and fire downward after the wearer steps down, pushing a metal plate away from the bottom of the shoe _ and the wearer up into the air. The shoe works in a rhythm with the wearer's step. As he steps down, his body weight resets the piston, which then fires and pushes him on his way. The plate is connected to the sole of the shoe by metal rods that work as shock absorbers. The shoes use ordinary gasoline, Kunikov said. ``A person can move with significant jumps or strides,'' said Kunikov, a professor at the Ufa Aviation Technical University. The university formerly worked on defense contracts, but when defense budgets shriveled, Ufa university went searching for a niche in the capitalist economy. The shoes weigh about two pounds each, including a fuel tank, tiny carburetor, spark plug and wires and pipes. Kunikov said there have not been any accidents so far. He also said he would continue to refine his product. ``We aren't standing in one place,'' he said. >>>Sherwood Shwartz should probably sue since he originally >>>demonstrated the concept when he Gilligan first wore >>>rocket shoes.