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Old 12-31-2009, 01:05 PM   #18 (permalink)
aerohead
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another guy

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeemans View Post
Thanks Aerohead. Great recommendations, and a lot of news/info for me to consider. I heard of another guy, some years back, that created a boat tail with canvass material which got "inflated" as speed picked up - it had an air inlet. This saved a lot on weight, and allowed for easy install or take down. Just a comment that jumped to mind...

Now, let me check up the recommends you sent me. Stay cool, take care. Mike

PS: Oh, and the mirrors are killers! When doing long distances I simply fold them flat or (once) turned them horizontal.
That guy is in Lubbock,Texas.
The Aerodynamics Laboratory at Texas Tech University did some model wind tunnel research for him.
He does use ram-air to inflate the envelope,it's clever engineering.
I wish he'd seen Walter Korff's boat tail design of 1963,or Baron von Fachsenfeld's design of 1930.They are both aerodynamically superior.
Tech published an article about the fellow around 1990/91,I'll see if I can dig it out.
There's a shot of the inflatable tail for the T-100 undergoing tuft-testing in New Mexico in the Phil Knox aerodynamic photo archive if you can find it.
They work!
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