Fairings - HPVs, Tub bikes

I'd like to thank Reg Rodaro and the folks who put up the WISIL site, http://www.recumbents.com/home.asp and all of those links to the world of data presented in such fine fashion. My gratitude and blessings go out to you.
Mail conversations with Reg have solidified my attitude toward prototyping in weldable plastic with a hot air welder. The proto also took mental form along with the goal. Mainly, to pattern in flat sheets a "tub" bike(using their language) or as I refer to it as, an External Frame-Fairing. I'll use clear plastic of thin sheets to see how thin I can really go, while utilizing a cable tensioner to run throughout the structure and "pull" it together. Else, another approach will be to utilize thin, like material tubes to "hold" compound shapes. (Tension or Compression?) The purpose of this experiment is to find a way to lower the weight of full faired vehicles while not using an internal frame and to improve the strength of the total vehicle.
Currently, a full faired vehicle is acceptable coming in at fifty pounds or so, for practical daily use.
My foundation for this approach goes to Bucky Fuller and Kenneth Snelson for tensegrity. May I forward your thoughts and artifactual foresight into this art-in-fact.

Fairings - Human Powered Vehicles (conti)

Okay! Been to the supplier - got the fact sheet. Priced plastics hot air welder - basic. The end result design doesn't overlay the beginning or the middle design. Hmmm. Is this a real problem for now? Does the material drive the process? Don't think so. It has to be the mathematics which drive it. The structure, or lack of structure as the case may be in this instance. Keep it simple. I don't need the full body at this point. All I need is the external side panels, the size of wheels, crank assembly, tensional cable, turnbuckles, seat, geartrain, and, oh yes, let's not forget the steering wheel assembly. Contact supplier for raw materials list, availability and so forth. Go down and clean up the workroom. Cut up old bikes and so forth. Clear the area and set up for plastics.

Plastic Fairings

I wish to thank TDL Plastic's Cody Banks for the help given in researching material for the fairing. This person allowed me to bounce stuff off which may be only theoretical but took it with enthusiasm and good patience.
Indeed, with all of the changes in the world of plastics, polycarbonate still comes out on top for this design. The minus twenty Fahrenheit brittleness comes into play but may be overcome with metal infusion into the design(?).
Hmmm.
Metal mechanical connectors for the PC panels.
Hollow rivets with washers?
Panels sliding in tracks distorting shape?
The concepts/??????? are coming too fast for now. Have to go. Go with the flow.

Fairings - Human Powered Vehicles

Don't remember where my head was on the Plexiglas material. Long ago I had moved on to polycarbonate. Floating out there, sometimes you just latch onto whatever piece of flotsam comes by, and then you realize, after a bit of research, hey, I've already looked at this!
Running down a supplier today, cleaning up the workshop, etc,,,. Trying to pick the material type, thickness, pick out available tools, shapes to use and so forth. Think I'll have to go toward tensional setup instead of the hardback. That'll be interesting, and mind expanding. Onward. Winter's coming. Anticipation is building as to the fun!