Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Full-boat-tail trailer with gap-fillers for Toyota T-100 pickup

aerohead · 08-05-2011, 06:04 PM

*Yesterday I completed the inverted-splitter/flow corrector.
*This morning I removed both lower bellypan sections,cut them back to relieve the interference,got 'em de-burred,and re-installed with new hardware.
*I trimmed off the top of the rubber centerline gap seal to clear underneath the new flow corrector and installed it.
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*I've had the tailgate off the truck and integrator installed,and can look in the rear-view mirror to view the face of the trailer.So I tufted it to see what the flow looked like.
* Without the gap-filler panel on top,there was a perfect downwash with the exception of the outer extreme edges,which did,remarkably, have flow to the rear.
*By extending the face with the flow corrector,some of the downwash is being directed such that more of the flow is directed outwards instead of downwards.
*Since the diffuser needs repair,I'll do that next,go ahead and widen the base to align with the trailers outline and get it re-installed.
* Then I'll re-install the rest of the belly.
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*At this point I'll be in a position to road test the rig without any of the panels,and simulate,perhaps,a best case scenario for an optimized trailer sans gap-fillers.
*I'll have to wait for lower winds.
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* My entry forms and payment for USFRA membership,130 MPH Club,and track preparation fees went out in the mail today.
* I carried the upper gap-filler panel frame with me to town and installed it in the shade of a tree near the post office to look at its alignment on the level.I'll better know now how to proceed with that.
*The bellypan sections will now allow completion of the panel frame end support rollers.
* Soon I'll be able to think about skins for the frames.
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*Also,I'll drag out the NT650 Honda Hawk swing-arm/mono-shock/wheel assembly and see if I can begin to work a miracle in adapting that into the Viking chassis.
*I'll focus on the gross projects first and attend to the fit and finish aesthetics stuff as time permits.
* I think I'm going to call it "Pair o' Grins",a *******ization of perrigrine(falcon),my favorite raptor,who's body shape as influenced the entire project.

08-05-2011, 06:04 PM	#179 (permalink)
aerohead Master EcoModder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A. Posts: 15,914 Thanks: 24,000 Thanked 7,227 Times in 4,654 Posts	little update Yesterday I completed the inverted-splitter/flow corrector. This morning I removed both lower bellypan sections,cut them back to relieve the interference,got 'em de-burred,and re-installed with new hardware. I trimmed off the top of the rubber centerline gap seal to clear underneath the new flow corrector and installed it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've had the tailgate off the truck and integrator installed,and can look in the rear-view mirror to view the face of the trailer.So I tufted it to see what the flow looked like. * Without the gap-filler panel on top,there was a perfect downwash with the exception of the outer extreme edges,which did,remarkably, have flow to the rear. By extending the face with the flow corrector,some of the downwash is being directed such that more of the flow is directed outwards instead of downwards. Since the diffuser needs repair,I'll do that next,go ahead and widen the base to align with the trailers outline and get it re-installed. * Then I'll re-install the rest of the belly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- At this point I'll be in a position to road test the rig without any of the panels,and simulate,perhaps,a best case scenario for an optimized trailer sans gap-fillers. I'll have to wait for lower winds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * My entry forms and payment for USFRA membership,130 MPH Club,and track preparation fees went out in the mail today. * I carried the upper gap-filler panel frame with me to town and installed it in the shade of a tree near the post office to look at its alignment on the level.I'll better know now how to proceed with that. The bellypan sections will now allow completion of the panel frame end support rollers. Soon I'll be able to think about skins for the frames. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also,I'll drag out the NT650 Honda Hawk swing-arm/mono-shock/wheel assembly and see if I can begin to work a miracle in adapting that into the Viking chassis. I'll focus on the gross projects first and attend to the fit and finish aesthetics stuff as time permits. * I think I'm going to call it "Pair o' Grins",a *******ization of perrigrine(falcon),my favorite raptor,who's body shape as influenced the entire project.