A streamliner configuration no one has tried

[Ratliff]

You have two wheels side by side in the middle, a single front wheel, and a single rear wheel with the middle wheels being driven. The front and rear wheels could be offset so that they're not on the centerline. This configuration would allow much cleaner aerodynamics on the tail of the body. By balancing the car so that all of the weight is on the middle wheels, with the front and rear wheels just holding the ends of the car off the ground, the car would have a much higher percentage of its weight on the driven wheels than can be attained with a conventional configuration.

[Rick Byrnes]

Why don't you build it?

[willieworld]

which wheel will steer    willie buchta

[Jonny Hotnuts]

Steering would be a problem. The rear wheel would drag side to side if steered from the front. If the front and rear wheel both steered the thing would be wildly unstable if weight was transfer and became a primarily rear steer vehicle. I would say that it could be done, I however would not volunteer to pilot it.

[John Burk]

Interesting layout . If the rear was longer than the front it could be aerodynamically stable . If the middle and front wheels steered it could be mechanicly stable .
John

[Ratliff]

which wheel will steer    willie buchta

I'd stick with the front wheel.

[Ratliff]

Steering would be a problem. The rear wheel would drag side to side if steered from the front. If the front and rear wheel both steered the thing would be wildly unstable if weight was transfer and became a primarily rear steer vehicle. I would say that it could be done, I however would not volunteer to pilot it.

Don't forget the rear wheel would hardly be carrying any weight since it would be there for the sole purpose of keeping the tail from dragging on the ground.

[Ratliff]

Interesting layout . If the rear was longer than the front it could be aerodynamically stable . If the middle and front wheels steered it could be mechanicly stable .
John

With the right weight bias that would be doable.

[sockjohn]

You have two wheels side by side in the middle, a single front wheel, and a single rear wheel with the middle wheels being driven. The front and rear wheels could be offset so that they're not on the centerline. This configuration would allow much cleaner aerodynamics on the tail of the body. By balancing the car so that all of the weight is on the middle wheels, with the front and rear wheels just holding the ends of the car off the ground, the car would have a much higher percentage of its weight on the driven wheels than can be attained with a conventional configuration.

I'm working on an electric motorcycle streamliner (we hope to put torch to steel this year) and toyed with going after the class 1 electric car streamliner since it seemed like a relatively easy add on, basically build two mirror image sidecars.  We could not make the weight based on best estimates, so gave up on the idea.  That said, it seemed like it would have been easier for us to design a bolt on front and rear and reuse the driver capsule.

I forget the the issues with Jim Bede's Pulse/Litestar design, but remember their being significant handling issues.  Would you avoid these issues with your design?

Since front wheel drive would be allowed for a four wheel streamliner, what does this gain you that a design like the Pollywog wouldn't also give you?

[Ratliff]

You have two wheels side by side in the middle, a single front wheel, and a single rear wheel with the middle wheels being driven. The front and rear wheels could be offset so that they're not on the centerline. This configuration would allow much cleaner aerodynamics on the tail of the body. By balancing the car so that all of the weight is on the middle wheels, with the front and rear wheels just holding the ends of the car off the ground, the car would have a much higher percentage of its weight on the driven wheels than can be attained with a conventional configuration.

I'm working on an electric motorcycle streamliner (we hope to put torch to steel this year) and toyed with going after the class 1 electric car streamliner since it seemed like a relatively easy add on, basically build two mirror image sidecars.  We could not make the weight based on best estimates, so gave up on the idea.  That said, it seemed like it would have been easier for us to design a bolt on front and rear and reuse the driver capsule.

I forget the the issues with Jim Bede's Pulse/Litestar design, but remember their being significant handling issues.  Would you avoid these issues with your design?

Since front wheel drive would be allowed for a four wheel streamliner, what does this gain you that a design like the Pollywog wouldn't also give you?

I would stay away from rear wheel steering.

It's possible that a front wheel drive car with an engine located forward of the front suspension might be another configuration where virtually all of the car's weight is balanced on the driven wheels.

The question then becomes how much aero drag does that generate compared to a streamliner with the wheels laid out in the diamond configuration?

[Loose Goose-Terry#1]

  Hi out there in LSR Land! If I understand the concept correctly, 2 wheels side-by-side in the middle, a third wheel up front, and a fourth wheel in the rear...it would be neither a car nor a motorcycle. By definition, it would be putting down three tracks on the salt and that would make it a trike with a "training wheel".  Right, or am I missing something?

Tightwad Terry

[Ratliff]

Hi out there in LSR Land! If I understand the concept correctly, 2 wheels side-by-side in the middle, a third wheel up front, and a fourth wheel in the rear...it would be neither a car nor a motorcycle. By definition, it would be putting down three tracks on the salt and that would make it a trike with a "training wheel".  Right, or am I missing something?

Tightwad Terry

Yes, you're missing the fact the front and rear wheels can be offset from the centerline so that they're not aligned, thus still meeting the definition of an automobile.

[Stainless1]

Yes, you're missing the fact the front and rear wheels can be offset from the centerline so that they're not aligned, thus still meeting the definition of an automobile.

Rat, did you miss the steering by 2 front wheels part (I know exactly where that rule came from  ).  What you have built is a time only streamliner for scta, maybe the FIA will let you run.... 

[Dean Los Angeles]

Don Vesco set the motorcycle record with a streamliner called the Silver Bird. It later became the Lighting Bolt, and then an Offenhauser engine was put in it and made into a car streamliner.
The Sky Tracker was the first attempt from Don Vesco to go for the car record.
It had five wheels, one in the front, a twin in the rear and two small covered once on short outriggers left and right of the streamliner, very close to center.

It didn't work.

[Stainless1]

Dean, nice picture, 
I think Don was stuck in time only the first year,
Also think the slowing down not the speeding up may have caused the problem in the picture.
Rick, got any inside info here?