I finished removing the nose cone mold from the Zephyr plug. I switched back to building the molds using fiberglass mat rather than carbon fiber. I built the tail cone using carbon fiber, and it makes great molds, in terms of very light, and they can look so professional! But it's far too easy to … Continue reading Preparing the nose & tail molds
Zephyr nose cone molds
As I write this, it's mid November 2020, and the country is heading back into a Covid shutdown, voluntary at this point but.... I finished the work on the WAW wheel pants molds, and Dan C did get a chance to test them out a few days ago..... didn't give any appreciable improvements that he … Continue reading Zephyr nose cone molds
Molds for WAW wheel pants, again.
One of my first composites projects was trying to make wheel pants for the WAW. The WAW has exposed front wheels for smaller turning radius and easier wheel/suspension maintenance. Wheel pants covering the wheels and wheel well will improve the aerodynamics, but also creates a larger turning radius. On my first attempt I was designing … Continue reading Molds for WAW wheel pants, again.
Finishing the Tail molds
Once the resin was all set on the lower right side tail mold, it was time to remove the polyethylene walls and the foam blocks, and start preparing to make the lower left mold next. I now realize I used too much hot glue between the foam and the plug... I figured the glue wouldn't … Continue reading Finishing the Tail molds
The plug is complete!
Progress has been slow but steady, even more so because of my living in a state with a "stay at home" request. Truthfully I'm very much a homebody anyways, but the request meant my career workload was cut down quite a bit, so I have had plenty of time to work on the Zephyr 🙂 … Continue reading The plug is complete!
Building molds for the tail cone
The first group of molds that I will make is for the tail cone. There are 5 separate molds involved. The tail cone mold will consist of three separate pieces: left lower section, right lower section, and the third part is the curved upper surface of the tail cone. I also added two access panels … Continue reading Building molds for the tail cone
The plug is completed!
As I was shaping and finishing the rear section of the velomobile plug, I ended up with 2 different and distinct designs left and right, mostly caused by my being over-zealous with the hot wire foam cutter on the left side. After thinking and musing about it I decided the right side was a more … Continue reading The plug is completed!
Designing for the rear suspension
I ordered a rear suspension kit from Katanga, to install on the Zephyr. The suspension was designed as an upgrade/retrofit for the WAW. It moves the rear axle rearward by about 2 inches, using a virtual pivot design. The kit arrived mostly assembled, and the small bolts were taped in the hole for shipping. The … Continue reading Designing for the rear suspension
Symmetry and other fun stuff!
I cut up a couple vinyl sign riders, to create some quick measurement guides for checking the symmetry on my plug: https://flic.kr/p/2hY6AUK The upper guide is 48 centimeters between the left and right points, and at top middle there is a small point. The small point lines up on the centerline so I can check … Continue reading Symmetry and other fun stuff!
Trade-offs
I'm creating my own velomobile for varied reasons, whether for customizing the fit or trying to wring out any aerodynamic improvements I can. Most decisions have a trade-off though; I may gain some aerodynamic advantage by making a change, but that may mean I give up something else. Some of the aerodynamic tweaks that I'm … Continue reading Trade-offs
