Composites in a road vehicle may work out but there are serious considerations as to durability... when a carbon fiber structure fails it goes in a bad way. I am building a perimeter frame of steel, it won't take a major hit from an SUV but it won't fatigue either.
Jeff On Dec 23, 2007 1:01 PM, Doug Starwalt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The Aptera looks very like much the cars designed for the solar > > decathalons, very much like an airplane > > As well it should. Steve Fambro - Aptera's daddy - flew sailplanes. He > was/is a member of the Vortex Yahoo group and was kicking around design > ideas over there for a while before taking the leap into the Aptera. > Originally the idea was to build a 300+ mpg vehicle. I have noticed that has > been adjusted a bit after "reality fade" set in. > > Fambro went to the Mecca of non-government idea banks - the Rutans - for > learning composite construction. > > I think composite construction is the best hope for a viable electric cycle. > With the new A123 style batteries that will be available through tool power > surplus, our need for speed and distance my soon be satisfied to a moderate > point. We just need to adapt the cells into packs for our bikes. > > --------=Doug > > >
