Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant-53
Make the head fairing detachable? The book by Katz I purchased on Amazon; there is a 2nd ed.
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It isn't just specifically the front that is going to pose clearance issues with the door. The trike can always be tilted on the side no matter how wide it is and slid through as long as the height of the cover piece over the rider's legs was skinnier than the door. But the height is also 1 m from ground to the top of the turtledeck. The widest point will ideally be where either the axle line for the front wheels or steering bars are, depending on shell. My initial bluff body design had max width in all three sections, BUT since the rear end will house the turtle deck and also future roll protection, I can tilt the trike back to original position and fit the rear through, if I leave an opening in the midsection to fit me through the door while I hold the trike tilted, and if the trike is narrow enough that I can do this easily standing on the steps while sliding the back end through the door.
If I make the body as wide as the trike width, even if the front section were completely removable, I wouldn't be able to fit it through once I tilt it back if I want to have a decent taper and avoid having to stand 2-3 feet from the doorway trying to hold this thing by the front after carefully balancing it in place and avoided dropping it while trying to get down some stairs.
Also, the bottom and rear must be attached the the frame in some manner to be to my satisfaction. I don't want the body coming off and cutting me in the event of a wreck. I will be building a frame for this body as well, possibly out of PVC pipe, but a metal mounting bracket is all I think I will need to begin using it reliably, if not yet safely, having already mostly finished a body that will go unused/unfinished and beat on it a little for testing. Coroplast is surprisingly strong stuff, in spite of its weak points.
I'm still working on the new drawing based on Phil Knox's input. It will be a simpler shape by far than what I was first building, and will be designed to allow sections to be cut out in the future for modification that is cosmetically pleasing(doesn't leave excessive errors with zip-tied repairs everywhere to make it more aero later on).
Give me a day or two and I might have the drawing done. I'm off to go on another ride before it gets dark.