Quote:
Originally Posted by RedDevil
I edited the picture to show what I mean.
Another view from above:
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It's kind of what I've been thinking about - only reversed.
You don't want a sphere at the rear of a vehicle - it'll add drag, and cause instability when fitted on a trailer.
Now, add the sphere on the trailer's front.
That'd be good for FE, even without gap filling panels.
In a simpler form and providing more internal space, it could just as well be a half cylinder with a slanted top rather than a sphere.
Add gap filling panels on the tow vehicle, and let them rest on the sphere
(tiny wheels on locally reinforced patches, teflon patches and half-spheres resting on / sliding over one another, ...) when driving straight & level.
On the towing vehicle, physical detents inboard of the panels, prevent the gap-filling panels from collapsing too far inboard for side-panels ,; or from dropping too low for the top panel.
The side-panels can probably also be the detents for the top panel.
Springs / bungees keep them resting on the sphere or on the detents.
In a level / straight config, the gaps should be minimal.
In a turn,
- the bungees should keep the inboard / top panel on the sphere
- the outboard panels can't move fully inboard, leaving a gap on that side, but that's not that much of an issue.
On the bottom, use a panel that's hinged at the tow vehicle, and connected with a bungee / spring on the trailer end .