Project number 2 for this month, Aero Trailer!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by todayican

Thanks for the input AeroHead!

Im somewhat familiar with the pusher trailers over the years (maybe aware is a better phrase, never drove with one etc)

I have the misfortune of having done a few car bodies from scratch, lots of cheese graters and foam, which is what may well happen with this one, BUT I have been doing a LOT of research into 3d routering and the concept of having it built in cad then "cut" in slices in wood, assembled, sanded and voila, trailer body mold (almost)

I think the articulation will actually make the gap filler easier to excecute. when its in "town mode" at lower speeds the gap filler would essencially be obsolete, but when she tightens up toward the car, less gap to fill.

I think this week I will do an unpowered "boxy" one with somewhat square sides with sanded edges to measure FE increases or deficits, then work on the power part.

Id love to hear your guess on increase on an otherwise modified prius c, and or unmodified 2004 Pontiac vibe with good gap seals? :-)

*Scaled Composites has a 5-axis router which is CAD-CAM linked and can render an entire fuselage from a foam billet.
*A neighbor 'cheated' with a 'scaling-pantograph' router which followed a small-scale pattern of which the pantograph scaled up to full-scale at the cutting head (reverse-tasked fiducial).
*On the Prius,you could take a look at my thread '2011 Prius to get full boat tail/faired trailer.'
On page-3 #25(permalink) is a rendering I did for my friend's Prius.There is no reason why the trailer would not cut drag in half.
*It should be the same for the Vibe/Matrix.
If I can get Jaray's,Lay's,Kamm's,and others 'templates' posted I think you'll see where I'm coming from.Most any vehicle could go to Cd 0.12 but it would be a very comprehensive project.And it would require the complicated surfaces.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by todayican

Sky King I hear ya on the 2 wheels, I want to go with one for now for a few reasons:

1) Better aero
2) Better rolling resistance.
3) (big one) I will be experimenting with the trailer "pushing" with a 10hp diesel, an ev drive system, and a combination of the 2, and using a single sprocket is SOO much easier to get right and not as "lossy" as an axle driving 2 wheels.

On the good side, I sat down with my thoughts for a minute and figured out how to make it a simple one person affair. :-)

Just put 2 kickstands (Lets call them "landing gear" form here on out SkyKing) at the same linear point (but outboard) of the single wheel so they would pivot on the same plane.

So the un coupling is kick, kick, lift. Easy Peasy :-)

on my 1-wheeler I have castor'd pogos kinda like the U-2 used under its wings which slip into a square tubing receiver (like old VWs and Mercedes jack sockets) on each side of the nose.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Tango Charlie

I thought I read somewhere that single wheel trailers have a problem going faster than 45 mph with the castering wheel wanting to shimmy. Come to think of it, you couldn't power a castering wheel, so you'll have to articulate the tongue.

I've pulled mine in excess of 80 mph and she tracks perfectly.Mine is motorcycle-based utilizing the swing-arm 'n coil over shocks.Much like Burt Munro did to haul his bike to the beach and back,using the front fork/axle as the pivoting attachment for yaw and pitch.She leans on curves too!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you are going to use a diesel generator why not put it on or in a trailer hitch cady?
That way you don't have an extra set of wheels, no trailer to register and pay for, no low hanging stuff to mess up under vehicle aero any more than it already is.

By using the trailer,we can do a complete boat tail,which can be rather 'long' if attempted as a cantilevered structure married to a hitch-mounted cargo platform.
Mine extends 11-feet beyond the trucks rear bumper.