Cool story, interesting idea.

[StudEbiker]

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/car-b ... -20100825/

It looks like the material they used for the body could be easily used in building a velo shell. Anyone familiar with the stuff they used?

[amberwolf]

Never seen it but a quick search of 3M's site finds this:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... dow_Films/
where one of those is probably what they used.

[Ben Wilson]

I just want to know how much of a champ car they got for $2500. The tub looks complete to me.

[Hillhater]

I suspect the "body material" is simply a heavy gauge industrial shrinkwrap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=iis ... =endscreen

[liveforphysics]

If you only have to fight 25mph winds, you can get away with almost anything for body material. I used to cover the wings of my RC planes with tissue before they even had shrink-wrap coatings for RC planes.

[Hillhater]

..I used to cover the wings of my RC planes with tissue before they even had shrink-wrap coatings for RC planes.

Ahhh ! .. Tissue paper and "Dope" . ..I can smell it now !

[John in CR]

Dacron which heat shrinks with a microlight frame and Kevlar roving is what I want to try for a faring, the same methods used to build ultralight canoes seen here http://gaboats.com/

[Kingfish]

If you only have to fight 25mph winds, you can get away with almost anything for body material. I used to cover the wings of my RC planes with tissue before they even had shrink-wrap coatings for RC planes.

Bet yer thinking Monokote. That could be true! Originally I was thinking polycarbonate, ala zziper farings.

~KF

[Hillhater]

If you only have to fight 25mph winds, you can get away with almost anything for body material. I used to cover the wings of my RC planes with tissue before they even had shrink-wrap coatings for RC planes.

Bet yer thinking Monokote. That could be true! Originally I was thinking polycarbonate, ala zziper farings.

~KF

no, i believe Luke was referring to actual Tissue paper and "dope" which preceded any of the plastic coverings.
Actually, my tissue & dope models preceded "RC" flight ... only gliders and rubber powered technology back then !

[whatever]

thanks for link to gaboats, i'm working on a glider have been messing with kevlar and heat shrink plastic,
it has some great tips on construction

[whatever]

I've spent some time researching gaboats and other sites now,
his methods for boat building are ideal for velomobiles, you wont get perfect curved lines but should get good results,
the methods are very simple too, there are videos on youtube describing in detail a boat build using his methods,
he starts with a wood plank, cuts it into thin strips ( keeping grain parallel to cut), makes up some templates which are later removed, then kevlar thread ( no epoxy added) is put at 60deg to the wood, its makes a lattice work,
its quite a good idea as the kevlar is in tension and the wood takes the compression, I think you could make a bit lighter than they are making using thinner strips of wood, seems dacron is preferred covering ( the heat shrink variety), but you could use
uv protected clear plastic heat shrink ( cheap as chips for very long rolls) or any other heat shrink, his methods for attaching the heatshrink cover to the wood seems very good too.
I'm working on an ultralight and I will use some of his techniques in the build.