02 Jun 2012



Decided to start on the door-frame rather than the rear portion. Marked in green is where the *rear* part of the door frame is going. Yes, really: those complicated angles really are where the door will fit. The rectangle (bottom left, part-marked in green) is an air-gap, which, yes, there really will be a large box as part of the door, going down the side of the vehicle.



Damnit, damnit - put the door frame support in the wrong place (in between the green and purple). The airflow coming through the open box on the door has to follow the arrows. However, as you can see I've put the upright too far away from the damn seat, and the angle of the airflow coming round it will be too tight: vortices will form. Am very reluctant to cut that off and move it because it cost an entire electrode (each side) to put each one on, but I have no choice. grr.



Ah ha! Rear door frame is in (marked in purple, front, and looking somewhat like a skull). Measuring across the lower point (up to the chair back) it's 90cm, widening only briefly to accommodate elbows. The height from top to under the floor is only 1.0 metre. That means that the front surface area of the entire cabin is *only* 0.9 sqm. With each wheel's front surface area estimated at 0.5m x 0.15m the four wheels come to 0.3 sqm, bringing the total front surface area to 1.2 sqm. and it will seat three squashed adults and possibly one rear-facing child seat as well. Green markings are to help with perspective of the next photo.



Rear compartment (looking directly down on the space for the Generator). The door frame was such a sod, welding it up, that I'm going to have to brace it across. Mr "It'll be all right, really, just hit it harder with a hammer" had to get the ratchet strap out and pull the frame over by a good 2cm in order to get the diagonals to join up properly. Also things need to be a bit stronger because the seatbelt fastening points are going in half way up the door frame. Next up will be that rear compartment. Not confident enough yet with the frame to take out the cross-brace (the one with my feet on it). Chances are at this stage of the build that it'll stay in.