William Wixon wrote:

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
...

I thought the group would find this story interesting....

From what I see on the freeway daily, most are not slowing down.

Slowing down...that brings back memories of the Carter conservation
days....


TMT


Truckers slowing down to save fuel By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated
Press Writer


-snip-

Frantz said the company should have the governors on the 3,000 rigs in
its truckload fleet adjusted next month.





i'm glad to hear they're slowing down.
one thing i've wondered for quite a while, how come they can't manufacture
and use some sort of trailing edge fairing for the rear of a semi-truck's
cargo box? if streamlining can make it so this 18 hp airplane can fly 155
mph i'm sure ANY sort of streamlining would reduce a trucker's mpg.
http://www.aircraft-spruce.com/da11.html i bet SUBSTANTIALLY. the only
reasons i can think of is, tradition, and the fear of ridicule from his
fellows. "breaker breaker good buddy, looks like you got a "load on"! har,
har!" (reply) "i'm saving 10% a year in fuel costs. it paid for itself in
a year" silence .... (long pause) sheepishly where'd ya get one
of those things and how much does it cost?" oh, maybe another reason would
be overall length, but i'd imagine they could write some sort of amendment
to allow fuel saving streamlining devices. it would be such a simple
modification. could be very lightweight. i guess another problem would be
the fairing flying off in traffic because some dickhead didn't attach it
properly, or truckers backing into stuff and crushing/damaging them.
why don't they do that?!

b.w.

(they should make a "streamliner" truck. totally asinine looking but huge
savings in fuel)



Actually, a "streamlined tail" for a box isn't the optimal solution.
What is needed is something to trip the boundry layer into the
turbulence behind the box.


http://www.princeton.edu/~asmits/Bicycle_web/blunt.html

Richard
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It's never too late to be the person you might have been.
George Elliot