> If you want to experiment with a box cover, cut a sheet of > plywood (or whatever, something stiff) to cover the box, > secure it in place with (200mph) duct tape and make a test > run, then compare without it in place. Then you can try > removing the tailgate, running without it, or with a net or > something in it's place. It'd be interesting to see the different > power requirements with the various options available. I've > wondered how much drag those nets have... I would think > the solid bar versions are better than a net.
To make things consistent you may want to do it this way. Do the testing on a calm day with little to no traffic. The two keys to making this work are 1) having stationary air in front of you and 2) having total control over the throttle. Get the vehicle up to a predetermined speed at a specific spot along the road. The end of an on ramp would be OK as long as there are no merging issues. Hold a CONSTANT BATTERY CURRENT (+/- 1% is fine) for a mile. This approximates constant power. Read the speed at the end of the mile. Recharge the car while you are altering the body work. Run the test again using the same start marker, same end marker and same battery current. Being able to read the speed to three digits is beneficial to get good resolution. Joe Smalley Rural Kitsap County WA Fiesta 48 volts NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder [EMAIL PROTECTED]
