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RE: Trailers

From: "Bell, Brian K (Contractor)" <Brian.Bell@d...>
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 08:18:31 -0500
Subject: RE: Trailers

> >==> I concur, though you may find because you're hauling it behind,
if
> you
> >were going at speed, drag would possibly keep is straight behind you
> >(think dragging a glider behind a plane). 
> 
> If you go *straight ahead* at speed, the trailer will stay straight
> behind you thanks to air drag. If you brake, or turn, it won't stay
> there any more than a glider will stay straight behind a towing plane
> which slows down or turns. (Which is to say "not at all" even at
> supersonic speeds, unless the glider also has a full set of
maneuvering
> surfaces *and* either a pilot of its own or is remote controlled from
> the towing plane.)
> 
> 
> ***Adrian:  Hang on a sec, though.  A glider is on 250' of 5/8"
> polypropylene rope (give or take).  A trailer is on a wee little
hitch...
> There is a lot of difference between how you tow a glider and how you
tow
> a
> trailer, and an awful lot could be done with clever *hitch* design,
I'd
> think.  I'm sure with some careful thought and good engineering, you
could
> design a hitching mechanism that used hydraulic/pneumatic/electric
> actuators to damp out unwanted swaying/pivoting of the trailer, such
as
> when decelerating, but still allow enough flexibility to accomodate
bumps,
> etc.	Damp out unnecessary turns, and then allow turns when
appropriate -
> wired into the brain of the vehicle (or doing it automatically with
gyros
> or something...).  
> 
[Bri] But then you are adding weight and control mechanisms to the
towing
vehicle. Such an elaborate set up would require additional cost (DS2 or
value SG2) to the towing vehcile. I agree with statements made earlier,
a
Grav, Hover, Walker, or VTOL trailer would require an engine of it's
own.
Obviously wheeled or tracked do not because the physical supporting
structure does not require power. On tracked or wheeled trailers, I
agree
that the cargo capacity should be increased, but I would suggest that it
only be 2 cargo units (8 capacity points) per size. Grav, Hover, Walker,
or
VTOL trailers would not gain this bonus because they would still need to


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