|
| Homepage • Products • Contacts Us |
Steve's Velomobile Project
December 28 Update
A couple of pictures showing the canopy on the Aurora
Side view with the front windscreen closed. I have made it so that it can be pivoted up so you can see the road under it when lifted. Being able to lift the windscreen should be very helpful at traffic lights and when going uphill slowly to prevent fogging. I added some ventilation with an opening in the hollow and a baffle behind it to direct the air flow on the back of the windscreen. The next step in increasing airflow is to enlarge the opening allowing air out the back of the canopy.
View of the canopy with the windscreen open. In the picture you can see the baffle to direct air up behind the windscreen. This works well provided you are moving at a modest clip. I can fog the windscreen up when going slowly or stopped. I will use this set up a bit more enlarging the exit vent to see if it helps. The back of the canopy will be extended and blended into the shape of the fairing.
December 22 Update
Not too much to report. Have finished modifing the bottom(hull) mould of the shell. Have made the changes to the beam moulds to get the steering handle bar to fit better. Presently working on the front of the beam making it a tad longer and taller so the shell will ride level. Should be done with this in about a week. In that same week it should be possible to also to remould the bottom of beam mould to make it match the change in the hull mould. Then only have to tidy up some bits of the top mould and we are ready to make the next one.
Have had a bit of feedback on the latest velo. The biggest change from the previous one is that the suspension is a bit too responsive. Very plush ride bit could be a bit stiffer for cornering. The clamp holding the spring to the beam is a bit shorter that before effectively making the spring longer and more lively even though I built it with about 30% more material. I will have a new clamp to install in a day or two and see what that does. The other things that came up that need attention are making the seat easier to adjust and some small mods for installing the drive train. The door works well the way it is set up now, getting in and out is pretty simple. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can make a new door and see if we can reduce the weight by a couple of pounds. Also will be making a custom handle bar that will allow more clearance for the legs so I can lower the seat. This will not be necessary on the next one. One other thing that came up was the need for a provision for attaching a trailer. Brock and I discussed it and it should be easy to do. At present we have a signals indicator that beeps but it difficult to hear in traffic. Another change is to add some LED indicator lights to the cockpit for the signals and lights. We had some before but they interferred with night vision or were not visible enough in daylight. A flip up panel to cover them for night time use might solve this issue.