I keep having other stuff to work on or I probably would have had the back end totally finished and ready for the new plastic panels. I figure a few more hours of playing with a plasma cutter will finish up the rear end
The front I will hopefully have an easier time of since it seems pretty simple compared to the back. I probably won't attach two of the engine mounts yet and wait till there is an engine in there to make sure they stay lined up properly.
Check out this patent:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6561575-fulltext.html
Code:
he device was formed from PVC pipe having a three-inch diameter, and utilized
an air inlet having a six-inch diameter. After two consecutive calendar quarters,
a second air channeler device of similar construction was employed with the same
tractor unit, in a similar configuration to that shown in FIG. 8. Gas mileage statistics
both with and without the air channeler devices are presented in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Quarter Gal @ Mile/Gal Gal @ Mile/Gal Gal @ Mile/Gal Gal @ Mile/Gal Gal @ Mile/Gal
1st Qtr. 38,837 @ 5.80 35,329 @ 5.71 38,125 @ 5.15 33,835 @ 5.05 28,588 @ 6.16*
2nd Qtr. 42,594 @ 5.85 37,296 @ 5.60 37,519 @ 5.65 38,217 @ 5,78 33,068 @ 6.72*
3rd Qtr. 36,281 @ 5.57 31,694 @ 6.06 29,781 @ 5.77 34,753 @ 5.75
4th Qtr. 33,752 @ 5.94 36,841 @ 5.95 35,173 @ 6.00 31,600 @ 6.09*
*Air channeler installed.
Those improvements were on a semi with 1 or 2 3" air ducts installed channeling air from the front with a 6 inch opening to the rear. I plan on making one that is 6-8" high by 2 1/2' wide with an opening as wide as the area between the signal lights so I should see a better gain