Boat tail project based on a single wheel trailer...

[Xist]

After we sent Aerohead to the wind tunnel, there was a discussion of sending someone else.

What about BapZipPow? Then we could post pictures to Reddit. "Hey, remember how many people said this did not work? These are official numbers from a wind tunnel. Watch them use smoke in this video."

Of course, we would have trolls asking "How can you believe some idiot just because he has a wind tunnel when I am obviously smarter than him, laugh out loud."

[aerohead]

It would be a good choice.
*Bam's mods can come off the T-100 in short order,which would allow a 'naked' baseline comparison which we could compare to Toyota's published Cd 0.44.
*This would give us a second comparison,considering Gary's Prius.
*Bam's rig is 'short' enough to fit inside the tunnels test section.
*Since it only requires 4-minutes to do a run,other mods could be tested as well.
*A 'fake' compound windshield would be interesting.
*Tape over the Cab/Bed gap.
*Taping every seam would tell us something we don't know about 'features drag.'
*A mirror delete would be easy enough (10% of my drag!)
*Alternate mirror testing.
*'Fake' flush side glass.
*A 'fake' 100% grille block.
*Front wheel MOONs.
*Cardboard and Duct tape front skirts (CAD).
*Test with windows rolled down
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I've already got some seed money.And I'd follow along,acting as roady/crew member,with my own stuff to test.It would be over a year before I was in a position to go.
Anyone else could bring a modded car or even a 'stocker' of known published Cd of which we could compare,growing our portfolio.Most of the time is spent just getting the car into the tunnel,getting it centered,and lashed down to the load cell pads.After that,any number of runs can be had in a few minutes.

[freebeard]

Where is that again? Is it near to Bonneville?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Where is that again? Is it near to Bonneville?

It's the DARKO Technologies wind tunnel,north of Salt Lake City,in Ogden.
Just a little north,and a few miles east of the interstate in an industrial park.
Also,you pass by a military salvage yard right along the interstate,complete with wing tanks or belly tanks an such.I'll be stopping to check it out on my next trip.

[BamZipPow]

So some quick numbers from the West coast trip...

2010 trip (from Houston to Brea, round trip) with about 250lbs of gear, 1 child passenger, fiberglass camper top (cab high)...3,222 miles, 138.3 gallons used, 23.3mpg. Average refueling distance = 292.9 miles. Average refueling = 12.57 gallons. Partial belly pan, 1st gen side skirts, dropped air dam. No grill block, rear diffuser, rear wheel skirts, or rear skirts.

2015 trip (from College Station to Brea, round trip) with about 300lbs of gear, no passengers, aero cap and aero trailer (about 350lbs combined)...3161 miles, 117.7 gallons used, 26.86mpg. Average refueling distance = 351.2 miles. Average refueling = 14.7 gallons. Full belly pan, rear diffuser, 4th gen side skirts, gap covers, rear wheel covers, rear skirts installed.

I took a major hit on mileage on the 2015 trip while I was in Phoenix, El Paso, and Brea as I was out gitting parts with the loaded trailer attached while driving on the city streets.

Best mileage fer the 2015 trip was from El Paso to Junction TX at 31.06mpg (65mph with mirrors in their normal position) while the 2010 trip was from Ft Stockton to San Antonio at 28.24mpg (60mph with mirrors folded in).

[aerohead]

The trend looks really good.
The overall,with mirrors out,and urban penalty shows a clear advantage with the trailer and recent mods.
The trip highs also shows a clear advantage with the trailer.
I saw as low as 18-mpg with the Viking trailer through the streets of Odessa,looking for lug nuts after the wheel loss debacle.So any driving in the city with the 1-wheeler would surely 'kill' your mpgs.
I'd have to say that Dark Aero has demonstrated an mpg gain,the first of a kind.I know of two other individuals who've claimed a mpg gain while pulling a trailer,but we don't have any data logs for those events.
And according to Fachsenfeld/Kamm,there's still about a 16% drag reduction available with Dark Aero when tumblehome and radii are introduced.
Even at 26.86 mpg,compared to 19 mpg,the drag reduction is 'off-the-charts.'
And we haven't even mentioned some of the 'indicated' mpg from the ULTRAGAGE.
I think you've set some kind of world record.
My hat's off to you for doing all the engineering,fabrication,and testing;and sharing all the gory details,plus the DIY blow-by-blow.
'looking forward to any and all new data.Thanks!

[BamZipPow]

Shots of the rig when I was in California.

Rear view...


Left rear quarter view...


I might pull in the rear of the canopy inwards a little by looking at the piccie.

I did receive a warning ticket when I was parked at my sister's condo from the local patrol hired by the HOA. The patrol called my rig an RV which is required to park in a specific paid area. Go figure.

[freebeard]

Well, that's what you get for putting a sink and a pooper in it.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by BamZipPow

I did receive a warning ticket when I was parked at my sister's condo from the local patrol hired by the HOA. The patrol called my rig an RV which is required to park in a specific paid area. Go figure.

That's one thing I hate about all that HOA and condo ****.

[BamZipPow]

Gitting ready fer a Northern trip so I'm making small changes to Dark Aero. The rear skirts have been trimmed off so the sides are level with the bottom transition. We'll see how much it will affect my data now.

The clear side gap covers will be trimmed to match the upper contour of Dark Aero. The upper horizontal gap covers will be rebuilt to incorporate a vertical piece as well.