Hi Paul,
A few last thoughts on our little Nautilus topic here...
I get that you don't like the Nautilus design. Everyone's taste is different, so
'to each their own', as far as all that goes. If everyone liked the same thing
all of the time, it'd make for a quite dull existence for us all.
What 'blows your mind' on the design - that it looks like an inverted boat hull - is
what I think is one of its strengths. An inverted boat hull shape as a TT/caravan's
body shape is a great approach to try and gain some aero advantage I think. And
it is not a new approach, as angib's TrailerBoat page shows:
http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t ... tear44.htm .
The Nautilus's version is even a bit better, in that its front is positioned to try and
help the airflow coming off of the tow vehicle reform into a smooth flow around the
trailer's body. The top plane starts out lower than the tow vehicle's and then gradually
curves upward, while the side planes also gradually curve outward from their starting
point to the max width of the trailer body. It's trying for smooth airflow transition from
its minimum cross-sectional area to its largest cross-sectional area, while starting out
within the tow vehicle's exit-cross-sectional area.
Granting that the airflow in the immediate rear of a tow vehicle is not in the
smoothest of states, the Nautilus prow [no puns intended] shaped front tends to fill-in
a good bit of the area and volume that is normally turbulent air, while it trys to direct
airflow to attach to the trailer top and sides and follow along them. The relatively smooth
bottom helps as well. That seems like a valid design approach to me. It has to give at least
some benefit in the area it is trying to address, trailer body aerodynamics, when compared
to the usual fully open gap between the tow vehicle and TT/caravan body and the
comparatively broader and flatter fronts on most TT/caravan designs.
It's just borrrowing a design or feature from one category of vehicle and
applying it to another category to see if it will give the hoped for benefit as envisioned.
Its just the same as when aircraft technologies are applied to TT/caravan design and
construction for beneficial effects.
It's not the be-all or end-all or 'The Answer', it's just a very good design attempt
in my view - all other considerations disregarded.
The esthetics results are purely a personal and subjective matter for each and everyone.
Cheers,
Norm/mezmo
If you have a house - you have a hobby.
by PaulC » Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:19 am 
