Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeemans
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.
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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!