Aerohead's going to the wind tunnel! We're passing the hat to help with costs.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Wait, everything that I have ever thought about wheel covers is wrong?

[MetroMPG]

I wasn't going to say it!

Xist - your contribution arrived too. Stats updated in post #1.

[eco_generator]

Yay! Wind tunnel.

What kind of data will you have afterwards?

[sheepdog 44]

Will the aero trailer be involved? i'd be interested in seeing real cd measurements in A-B testing.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Xist

Wait, everything that I have ever thought about wheel covers is wrong?

I'd intended to run MOONs on the salt,but with immovable deadlines,I ran out of time and never got to drill and tap the wheels/covers.(didn't get the stinger finished either).
I had to settle for the GM knock-on caps which were okay for the highway,but illegal for Bonneville.
There never seems to be enough time,no matter how much you budget.
It turned out alright I suppose.While Mini Coopers and Mazda 3s were losing 17-mph in top speed,I managed a 10-mph gain,and with a weight penalty.
The fuel economy was the best I'd seen.As well as 37-mpg if I held to 65-mph.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by eco_generator

Yay! Wind tunnel.

What kind of data will you have afterwards?

We should have drag and lift data and with the smoke trace,be able to spot any obvious problem areas.
No official frontal area is provided from Toyota for the 2WD T-100.I've estimated it as best I can.Perhaps Doug Tinney and staff have access to 'classified' info.
The stinger will be on for the trip along with an extra 12-inch,simulated,inflated super-stinger,which gets 5-feet overall total boat tail elongation.
Along with the tunnel data,I'll have over 3,000-miles of tank-mpg,as after the 'Tunnel',I'll be going on to Bonneville,Battle Mountain,Carson City,Nevada,and then into Southern California before heading home via Las Cruces,NM,and then Colorado Springs,Colorado.
There's a slim chance that she'll touch 40-mpg.That would be a first,and really fun!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

Will the aero trailer be involved? i'd be interested in seeing real cd measurements in A-B testing.

The NASA Ames tunnel at Palo Alto,California is the only one with a test section long enough to accommodate the trailer and it's mass,so that's out of the picture unless I was under a DARPA SBA grant or something.
I got permission from the USFRA to run the trailer at Bonneville,but I run into the same quandary as with the truck.I'm limited to the 1-mile short course,and with the mass and horsepower I have, I can never attain terminal velocity.And without the top speed,there's no way to reverse-engineer the drag coefficient using Hucho's 30%/10% drag/top speed relationship.
About the only thing I can think of,is to run at a closed course such as out at Fort Stockton,Texas at the Bridgestone/Firestone Proving Grounds.
I met with the Director of the facility and he said it's not that expensive to rent the course and that they'd even ban onlookers if I chose.Wind is an issue.Bridgestone owns property near Sanger,Texas,and has contemplated moving their test track there,except that we have a lot of wind too.
Otherwise,I'll just do more mpg testing with the trailer as BamZipPow is doing with his 1-wheeler and hope that with enough data,that a Cd can be pulled out.
PS It is possible that I could create a faux center wheel and fairing to attach in the wind tunnel,which would simulate a properly-configured 1-wheel trailer,and have that measured.My trailer is too long and too heavy as an RV mini-caravan,but a fake wheel setup WOULD simulate the airflow of a gap-filled,full-boat-tailed trailer.We'll see.

[aerohead]

*Red teardrop clearance lights are supposed to be in at NAPA tomorrow,which will allow completion of wiring for the new stinger.
*The stinger is essentially complete.
*It's my best work so far but still 50@50 build quality.
*It's painted.
*It has a rear windshield.
*It has a piano-hinged,recycled aluminum speed limit sign for a 'trunklid.'
*The trunklid has two Dzus fasteners for hold down.
*The lid has a steel prop rod (recycled from a dead Harbor Freight roller shaft)
*The prop rod has an aluminum rest.
*The prop rod engages into a CB radio microphone holder on the underside of the lid.
*I have a recessed upper 6-light arrayuter tail/stop/turn,mid-mounted dummy ambers,and working clear inboard backups.
*Two recessed license plate lamps.
*Will have two teardrop side marker lamps.
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The stinger attaches by piano hinge to the rear bottom of the 30-inch boat tail bulkhead and swings down onto bumpers for access into the tail/bed.
* I have something like an ammo box latch mechanism to tension the stinger to the tail and will also have a safety lanyard for second line of defense.
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I extended my shop area out a bit.It's covered.And I dug a shallow grave of 6-feet by 3-ft,a foot deep which is my new 'Hydraulic lift.' I'll be able to do all the lube servicing and belly pan work 'indoors' now.
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I hope to have all the pick and shovel fabrication work done in July,then spend August tidying everything up for the trip.
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I'll get photos soon.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by aerohead

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The stinger attaches by piano hinge to the rear bottom of the 30-inch boat tail bulkhead and swings down onto bumpers for access into the tail/bed.
* I have something like an ammo box latch mechanism to tension the stinger to the tail and will also have a safety lanyard for second line of defense.
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This is the ultimate RAT build, ecomodder style. Photos will be awesome.

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

This is the ultimate RAT build, ecomodder style. Photos will be awesome.

X2.