The AOK (baker) fan is powered up for the first time (April 26, 2009)

A Baker fan is a standardized fan which acts as a load for a tractor or engine. Using wind resistance (which varies with the speed of the fan), these could roughly indicate the maximum horsepower delivered by an engine by seeing how fast the fan could be turned, as indicated by a tachometer or other measuring device.

Today was also the first day that Pappy was significantly loaded down since all the bearings were redone, so it was both a debut for the fan, and, in a sense, for Pappy.

Stephen, and Andrew O'Keefe (hence "AOK"), the fan's creator, look at it from the side while the fan turns to check for trueness, balance, belt tracking, etc. (April 26, 2009)

The fan officially debuted at the 2009 Maker Faire.  Pappy drove one pulley of the fan, and the other pulley of the fan, in turn, drove the Dingus (display mode only- no smashing/crushing)

Looking up at the AOK fan, driven by Pappy, driving the Dingus (May 28th, 2009)

Later that year, we took it up to Chico to the Threshing Bee. You can see our fan next to a fan they already had.  Note the similar, standardized construction dimensions, 2 feet by 2 feet for the (4) blades. We had never seen this fan before now.

Two baker fans- our AOK Fan and another- side by side for comparison (June 13, 2009)

It turns out that the baker fan is actually a tough load to turn. More than one gas tractor smoked their clutches trying to turn the fan…

Two tractors going at it, each turning their own baker fans (June 14, 2009)

Pappy had no trouble and steadily turned the AOK fan with ease. We measured approximately 320 RPM on the fan, so we know Pappy could have gone even faster!

Most recently, the AOK fan made and appearance at the KSW Rollout, Nov 14, 2009, celebrating our nonprofit status.

The fan is just a blur of blades. You can only imagine the wind generated by a 75HP fan... (June 14, 2009)