2011 Prius to get full boat tail w/ faired trailer

[KamperBob]

Phil, it's a great project. I'm eagerly yet patiently looking forward to more pix. Meanwhile, I wanted to offer potential concerns early so you could consider possible changes when it's least expensive to do so. Rock on!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by KamperBob

Phil, it's a great project. I'm eagerly yet patiently looking forward to more pix. Meanwhile, I wanted to offer potential concerns early so you could consider possible changes when it's least expensive to do so. Rock on!

KB,I finished enlargements of the plan-view and rear elevation drawings just a little while ago here at Copy-Pro.I'll work on them tonight and scan/post tomorrow,as I won't be going to Ft.Worth to work.
Then I can begin formal drawings of the gap-filler mechanism.
I'm trying to make all my mistakes on paper.I've had my share of 'O' s---!' episodes so I'm not anxious to have my Darwinian moment quite just yet.
Once I get the images up we may discover where I was eating a bowl of stupid.Hope there's not to much of that.
It's kinda crunch time now if I'm to make it to the Salt Flats on schedule.I need to get cracking.

[redyaris]

Originally Posted by aerohead

KB,I finished enlargements of the plan-view and rear elevation drawings just a little while ago here at Copy-Pro.I'll work on them tonight and scan/post tomorrow,as I won't be going to Ft.Worth to work.
Then I can begin formal drawings of the gap-filler mechanism.
I'm trying to make all my mistakes on paper.I've had my share of 'O' s---!' episodes so I'm not anxious to have my Darwinian moment quite just yet.
Once I get the images up we may discover where I was eating a bowl of stupid.Hope there's not to much of that.
It's kinda crunch time now if I'm to make it to the Salt Flats on schedule.I need to get cracking.

Ah yes ...a bowl of stupid... I like that expression. I think of stupid in my intelectual life the same way I think of fiber in my diet, without an adequite level of fiber/stupid not much movement/development can take place!

[aerohead]

I just added 4 new photos of the project drawings/images at the original image post on page-3,permalink#25.This will keep all the photos together.
*There will be a missing photo of the trailer behind the Prius from the side
* a 3-view development creating the plan view ( bird's eye view ) and rear elevation
* an enlargement of both new drawing images in ink with some detail cleanup
----------------------------------------------------------------------------My next task will be drawings of the gap-filler mechanism.I'll also separate the trailer from the integrator and display it separately.And show a plan view from below.

[aerohead]

Thursday's re-test of the T-100/Viking reinforces my confidence in the predictions for the Prius tadpole trailer.
With gap-fillers,the T-100/Viking rig is predicted to fall from today's Cd 0.198,to Cd 0.159.
If I repair the existing damage to Viking from December 2009,and complete the fairings which were planned but never completed,the drag should fall even lower,approaching the Cd 0.143 mark predicted for the Prius,who's weight will be only a fraction of that of Viking.

[aerohead]

Spoke with friend Gary( Prius owner ) few night ago about project.
Gary is going to purchase a wire-welder.He's already got a metal chop-saw to section the trailer frame with.He's also got a stick welder for the heavier sections.
The plan,so far,is to weld up a 1/2-inch ( 13mm ) EMT skeleton for the body,as I used with my 1-wheel trailer.Short of exotic materials it offers a very light,low-cost, structure,from readily available material.
Habitat for Humanity has re-sale stores around the USA,where cheap materials can be purchased even cheaper! This will be the source for Gary's steel needs.
He's been very busy and looks forward to down-time to devote to the project.
I'll be going by his place after Bonneville for a brain-storming session and visit.
In the meantime,he continues to record the database for baseline performance on the car for later comparisons.

[Erc1727]

hoot hoot post 4 outta 10 so i can pm

[shorttimer]

I'm bookmarking this thread! Hope you get it done before winter sets in. Time seems to have sped up these last few years.

[NeilBlanchard]

Is there air separation on the rear window of the Prius?

[slowmover]

*The third thing,is that if I pull away from a stop,in a right turn lane to make a turn ( legal in Texas ),at over 8-feet in length ( 2,400mm ),if there is a car to my left waiting at the light,I will rip its right side out with the trailer simply because it does not articulate.

There are a number of "straight" vehicles with this problem. Texas law allows -- in making a right-hand turn -- to move to the lane immediately adjacent up to one-half that lane in order to "cross" the intersection during the turn and enter the appropriate lane without entering the lane of oncoming traffic. (Think of this as from a four lane to two lane turn). One is not ever allowed into oncoming lanes (different from some other states). The trick is to "manage" traffic behind one.

Nice thread (as always)!

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