On Tue, Aug 29, 2017 at 10:52:32PM -0700,  (via tml list) wrote:
> Nope. Even with the CG operating it still takes energy to lift the
> *mass* of the vehicle those 200 meters. The exact same energy you get
> by dropping the other one thru 200 meters.

Not at all.  Work done = force dot distance.  The CG balances the
gravitational force, so the only remaining force required is a net
force for acceleration (Newton's second law).  The acceleration is
purely centripetal, and so orthogonal to the displacement yielding a
zero dot product.  So the work done by an external force is zero.

The work done by the CG's magic pixie dust is not zero.  In fact, it's
greater than the (stated to be constant) power supplied to the CG
device which is the whole reason why this is a perpetual motion
machine.

- Tim