(28 days until the 2012 WHPSC)
Meet the new boss...
... same as the old boss
Slotted to facilitate alignment during welding
Checking the fit of the profiled bosses
Flat bottom... flat top!
Runway 27L
This is the reference surface for the top
Doug is a retired aerospace engineer from the "skunk works" of a major defense contractor. He said this partition will make the bike set a world record!
Actually, this is to regain the symmetry we somehow lost.
(29 days until the 2012 WHPSC)
We weren't even done patting ourselves on the back about how flat the bottom of the streamliner body turned out when a representative of the proverbial "peanut gallery", Larry Lem informed us that flat is NOT aerodynamic.
I drew much of my inspiration from Georgi Georgiev's various Varna Diablo bicycles, which Sam Whittingham and Barbara Buatois used to set world speed records. My dad, on the other hand, was more inspired by the streamliner automobiles that we've watched run at Bonneville. What Professor Lem told us is that the flat sides on automobiles at Bonneville aren't such a big deal because the vehicles are often over-powered. But human-powered bicycles are definitely UNDER-powered, and need every aerodynamic edge they can get. It's WAY too late to change much at this point...
We'll do our best to round things, but the proverbial die has been cast...
Sigh... we were so proud of how flat the bottom was...
(30 days until the 2012 WHPSC)
Back at the mill: made a little fixture to profile pinch clamp bosses
One down - seven to go
Meanwhile, back at the "ranch"... flattening out the bottom of the body
Buzzing down a high spot
This will serve as a reference surface to build up the rest of the bottom to
Angled shot of reference surface
First ~quarter of the bottom
Nearly half way
Low angle, showing how flat the bottom is
REALLY flat
(31 days until the 2012 WHPSC)
Made a long blade to spread more Bondo. It's so hot that there's barely enough time to catalyze the Bondo and spread it before it starts to kick. Dad only made three passes with the long blade before the the Bondo was too stiff to move.
On a positive note, you can start working the cheese grater right away...
Closeup of the cheese grater (A.K.A. "SureForm")
Getting REALLY flat and smooth!
Getting even smoother and flatter
WTF!??
Just had to splash some water on it to show off how smooth it is. With a little luck and a LOT of hard work, we'll be in Gel Coat early next week!