[aerohead]

4536 asked about progress on the 'transition' panels and I said I'd do an update here,just to keep everything together.
And first,an apology because I'm making stuff up as I go and a long way from intelligible photos.
The plan for the invention as of right now:
My college Rawleigh Record Ace 10-speed has been offered to the gods of low drag and is being harvested for components.
I sectioned the forward frame and will attach the front fork,reversed,at the nose,secured at the spare tire mount and below,capturing the hub,minus spokes.
The fork tube and short sections of the frame,with original weatherized bearing set projects 'forward' and will be modified to accept and hold a rectangular,reinforced square-section welded steel yoke which pivots at same center as fork tube,not quite the width of the void it occupies.
The 4 gap-filler panels attach to,and swing from this yoke with simple hinge/clevis-pin/and retainer clip,creating the aerodynamic transition from tow vehicle to trailer which produces the low drag singularity.
Each panel has a guide roller which rides close to the prismatic face of the trailer.
In a turn,the affected trailer face facet makes contact with the panel roller,forcing the panel to pivot and displace,while simultaneously,the yoke itself is pivoting to clear the tow vehicle rear by use of a similar roller system at the yoke face.
During backing,the events play out in reverse.
The side panels can displace only horizontally.
The upper and lower panel can displace only vertically.
A short section of resilient foam projects forward along the perimeter of the yoke to close the vehicle/trailer gap and provide a deformable barrier for times when the road surface demands that axles must be displaced vertically ( railroad tracks,driveway ramps,etc.),pivoting the trailer.
The upper and lower panels are held by cable/pulley/weight as in a vintage double-hung window.
The side panels are also held by cable/pulley/weight.
Anytime the combination is in line,gravity forces the panels close to the trailer face.
Springs were considered due to weight savings,but they can break,gravity can't.
The side panels are configured such that a fenestration is maintained to the rear,allowing following motorists to see the tow vehicle tailights,signals,stoplights,as well as those of the trailer itself.
I wasn't even going to look at the trailer 'til next winter.Heat index has been near or over 100 F for weeks now.I won't look for much progress,but I'll throw some hours at it through the summer.