TerraLiner:12 m Globally Mobile Beach House/Class-A Crossover w 6x6 Hybrid Drivetrain

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


6. Blast Protection?


********************************************



The Landrover Sentinel also raises the question of blast protection. Will the TerraLiner need it? I'm not sure. Perhaps underbody blast-protection, simply because so much of the world is littered with undetonated mines from past conflicts. But protection against grenades, or a 15 kg of TNT in a side-blast? Somehow I doubt it. The TerraLiner will not be carrying high-value political targets of the kind that would merit assault using grenades, and it will try to avoid places where IEDs are common, IEDs configured to blast from the side.

Even still, the Sentinel's specifications prompted me to research Bayer's "Hygard" product line a bit more. Recall that Hygard all-plastic bulletproof glazing would be strongly preferred because it resists white-out and spidering. See
http://www.modernplastics.com/blog/hygard-bullet-resistant-sheets/ for a particularly lucid and compact summary:


Properties of Hygard Sheets

Hygard's high-strength polycarbonate construction is further fortified by the addition of protective coatings as well as multiple material plies depending on the level of needed resistance.

  • A solid polycarbonate base layer provides the foundation of protection. This material is extremely stable and resistant to impacts of varying natures.
  • Additives are included in the polycarbonate to resist yellowing and splintering. These properties help Hygard sheets maintain their crystal-clear, glass-like transparency even after attack. Unlike bullet-resistant glass, attacks do not result in “spider-web” spalling or white out that eliminates visibility and makes responding to threats difficult.
  • Exterior surfaces have a Makrolon AR hard coat that makes cleaning easier while resisting marring, scratches, chemical attacks or graffiti.
  • Multiple plies can be used to increase protection against ballistics or blast impact.
  • Some applications, such as Hygard Sentinel, have proprietary steel mounting structures embedded that offer protection against terrorism or natural disaster, exceeding U.S. Military standards.
  • All Hygard products have a seven-year limited warranty that covers coating failure, yellowing or hazing not resulting from misuse or outside forces.
  • All of these materials are lightweight and represent a low-cost, lower-maintenance alternative to most bullet-resistant glasses.


Levels Offered by Hygard Bullet Resistant Sheets

Covestro provides several levels of protection with their Hygard bullet-resistant sheet polycarbonate product.

  • Hygard BR and MS offer ballistics resistance in varying grades. The lowest level of Hygard BR can resist multiple gunshots from typical handguns and even some high-powered ones. Hygard MS can offer an extremely-high level of ballistics protection from high-powered machine guns or rifles.
  • Hygard EX was engineered by Covestro to “meet & exceed GSA, DoD and DoS anti-terrorism force protection standards,” in their own words. This material not only resists ballistic impacts, but it also protects against high-pressure loads or shock waves.
  • Hygard Sentinel represents the ultimate solution for building shell protection. The Hygard multi-ply laminate sheet material is supplemented further by the addition of a steel mounting structure that can resist blast impacts or natural disasters.



Before reading this, I had thought that Hygard products "top out" with the MS line of all-plastic bullet-resistant glass, where the most suitable product for use in the TerraLiner would MS1250 glazing, rated to UL 6. But turns out there is another range of "EX" and "Sentinel" products beyond that, designed for blast-resistance as well. There is a comprehensive PDF at http://www.covestro.com/~/media/Pro...uments/Brochures/Americas/BRO044_Security.pdf :



BRO044_Security1.jpg BRO044_Security2.jpg BRO044_Security3.jpg
BRO044_Security4.jpg BRO044_Security5.jpg BRO044_Security6.jpg
BRO044_Security7.jpg BRO044_Security8.jpg





********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
..
.
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



The most interesting product would be the EX 1300 blast-proof glass:






But unfortunately, EX-1300 only seems rated for UL Level 3 resistance to bullets -- see https://sweets.construction.com/swts_content_files/1580/829254.pdf :



620469a.jpg 620469b.jpg



Or it it? The specifications -- for instance, thickness -- of the MS1250 and EX1300 products seem identical, in both cases 1.3 inches thick. And the description of the following video suggests that in Woomera they tested EX1250 glass, and not EX1300. Only thing is, there is no such thing as EX1250 glass. So perhaps what's meant instead is MS1250?






So perhaps MS1250 and EX1300 are one and the same product?

Whatever the truth here might be, for the TerraLiner cab-protection against bullets will be far more important than blast protection. So if it came down to a choice, and the EX1300 product only offers UL Level 3 protection against firearms, then MS1250 would be preferred, because it provides UL Level 6 protection.



********************************************


7. Bayer: very interested in transportation applications of its polycarbonate products


********************************************


I then chanced up on the following very interesting video, which describes how Bayer (the manufacturer of Makrolon and Hygard products), very recently worked together with the transportation design program at the UMEA Institute of Design in Sweden, to explore new car concepts that employ its polycarbonate materials:



[video=youtube;Ad3-re37R3w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad3-re37R3w [/video]



At the very least, this demonstrates that Bayer is keen to see its polycarbonate products used in transportation applications. And needless to say, such applications would usually require complex curvatures.

It also turns out that within the Makrolon range of products, in addition to Hygard bullet-resistant glass, Bayer makes some very interesting LED sheets, as well as sheets for soundproofing motorways -- see http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-Solid-Sheets/Hygard.aspx , http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-LED-Sheets.aspx , http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-LED-Sheets/Makrolon-DX.aspx , http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-LED-Sheets/Makrolon-SX.aspx , http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-Solid-Sheets.aspx , http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-Solid-Sheets/Makrolon-ColorLine.aspx , and http://www.sheets.covestro.com/Products/Europe/Makrolon-Solid-Sheets/Makrolon-SilentSound.aspx .


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
...
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



8. Lexgard


********************************************


Also turns out that Bayer is not the only player in this market. GE, Exxon, or some kind of derivative/spin-off of the two produces Lexgard, also an all-plastic bulletproof solution -- see http://www.lexgardlaminates.com , http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/contact/index.php , http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/index.php , http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/products/index.php , http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/products/lexgard_laminated_poly.php , and http://www.modernplastics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/LEXGARD_bullet_bomb.pdf :



Lexgard+Laminates1+Product+Selector.jpg Lexgard+Laminates2+Product+Selector.jpg Lexgard+Laminates3+Product+Selector.jpg
LEXGARD_bullet_bomb2.jpg Lexgard+Laminates4+Product+Selector.jpg



Again, this is all-plastic bulletproof glazing that virtually eliminates white-out and spidering. And as per Bayer's Hygard, Lexgard's most resistant all-plastic glass seems to come in two versions: Ballistic (RS1250) and Bomb-Blast (SP1250). As per Hygard, both versions are 1.3 inches thick, making one think that they might be the same product, merely given different designations?


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
..
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


However, if they are not the same product, and if as per Bayer's Hygard EX1300 product the Bomb-Blast version only rates ballistically as UL Level 3, then the Lexgard product of choice here would be RS-1250, because it is rated as UL Level 6 against firearms -- see http://www.daybrasil.com.br/produtos/construcao/img/lexgard_drs1250.pdf , http://www.pod-sabic-ip.com/kbam/reflection/assets/18672.pdf , and http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/pdfs/lexgard_laminated_polyd_laminated_poly/Lexgard_RS1250.pdf :



lexgard_drs1250a.jpg lexgard_drs1250b.jpg
18672.jpg Lexgard_RS1250.jpg



It's interesting that in the case of both Hygard MS1250 and Lexgard RS1250, things top out at UL Level 6.

The company that seems to have purchased GE's technology, called "Global Security Glazings", also makes "Armor-Gard" bulletproof glazing, which rates as UL Level 8 -- see http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/products/amor_gard_bullet_res.php and http://www.lexgardlaminates.com/pdfs/Armor_Gard/GLOBAL LL BALULN55.pdf :



GLOBAL LL BALULN55a.jpg



However this is not all-plastic glazing. Rather, it is a more conventional sandwich of tempered glass and polycarbonate. So it will undergo significant white-out and spidering when subject to ballistic attack. And it would probably suffer the same when merely hit by a large flying rock from an irresponsible truck up ahead. It's also much thicker, 2.125 inches, and no doubt much heavier.

In the case of the all-plastic Lexgard R1250 product, it's worth noting the fine print in the more detailed two-page flyer produced by GE:



Due to its mar-resistant coating and bonding interlayers, Lexgard RS-1250 laminate cannot be formed. It is meant for flat applications only.


So while curved bullet-proof glass intended for automotive applications most certainly does exist, as near as I can tell such curved glass is almost always a sandwich of layers of polycarbonate alternating with tempered glass. When shot or when struck by a rock such curved glass will most certainly create a fairly large shatter pattern, thereby impairing visibility, perhaps seriously so. Unlike all-plastic bulletproof glass, such glass cannot promise limited white-out and spidering. Whereas all-plastic bulletproof glass that resists spidering and white-out may be available only in flat sheets. This may be a technological requirement, and it's quite possible that "formed" or "curved" versions of all-plastic bulletproof glass are simply not feasible.

It's also possible that there simply does not exist such a thing as all-plastic bulletproof glass that has a UL rating higher than Level 6. Again, for the TerraLiner a UL rating of Level 8 would be preferred, or a rating of VR8 as per the Land Rover Sentinel, or Texas Armoring's equivalent T6 rating.

However, if curved UL Level 8 all-plastic bulletproof glass simply does not exist, then it would probably be best to "settle" for flat sheets of UL Level 6 all-plastic glass. Because in the course of ordinary usage and circumstances, all-plastic bulletproof glass will prove far more convenient. The key issue here is that in the event of a large flying rock, the "white out" or "spidering" would remain limited, and would not significantly impair visibility. Because white-out would remain minimal, continued long-distance driving would be possible, and the TerraLiner's owners need not worry that a police officer might pull them over because of seriously impaired windshield visibility. So the TerraLiner could continue driving another 1000 or 2000 km until it reaches its destination. Once camping in leisure at their destination the TerraLiner's owners could then order a replacement segment, which may take a few weeks or even months to arrive.

Presumably specialists in vehicle armoring similar to Texas Armoring might be found in most countries, and could be trusted to merely replace a segment of windshield glazing. Brazil seems to have dozens of such specialists, so I am guessing that most South American countries will have at least one or more -- see http://thebrazilbusiness.com/article/cost-of-bulletproof-cars-in-brazil , http://www.abrablin.com.br/web/ , https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.abrablin.com.br/&prev=search , http://www.abrablin.com.br/web/Principal/VerTipo.aspx?Tipo=2 , https://translate.google.co.uk/tran...web/Principal/VerTipo.aspx?Tipo=2&prev=search , http://www.abrablin.com.br/web/Extras/ListaAssociados.aspx , and https://translate.google.co.uk/tran...r/web/Extras/ListaAssociados.aspx&prev=search .


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
...
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


9. The NIJ Rating System


********************************************


In the course of this further research, it was virtually inevitable that I would once again encounter "NIJ" ratings. This is an armoring rating system created by the National Institute of Justice -- see http://www.nij.gov/topics/technology/standards-testing/pages/active.aspx . It seems very similar to the Brazilian rating system, with a distinction between "IIIa" and "III", for instance, where IIIa covers small submachine guns, but not more substantial rifles, as per level III:



2 images



And here is the same rating system, in terms of bullet calibers:



3 images



Notice that this system seems to have been developed primarily for body armor, and not vehicular armor or bullet-resistant glazing -- see https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/223054.pdf , http://www.nij.gov/topics/technology/body-armor/pages/compliant-ballistic-armor.aspx , and https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247281.pdf .

Before all of this gets hopelessly confusing, as luck would have it two armoring specialists came up with comparative ratings charts, charts which try to correlate UL and NIJ ratings -- see http://www.alpineco.com/ballisticchart/ and http://securedrivellc.homestead.com/Ballistic-Chart.html :



2 images



If the NIJ ratings are basically the same as the Brazilian ratings, then one of my guesses was right: Brazilian level IIIa (the most popular level of armoring in Brazil) corresponds to UL Level 6.

It also seems that NIJ/Brazilian level IV may correspond to UL Level 8, but also UL Level 5 or 7. The first chart provides further correlation with the STANAG rating system, and UL Level 8 seems roughly equivalent to STANAG III. I will leave further research into the STANAG, CEN (Euronorm), and DIN rating systems (Deutsches Institute für Normung) for a later series of post -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STANAG_4569 , http://www.interarmored.com/en/ballistics/international-standards , http://www.armorco.com/shop/custom.aspx?recid=6 , http://www.nationwidestructures.com/ballistic-key.html , http://www.din.de , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_1063 . The material posted above seems like enough for now....:sombrero:


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



10. A bit deeper into Vavilovian Mimicry to evade the truck-jacking threat in Latin America and ex-Soviet Union countries


********************************************


Now one assumption that has been emerging in the thread is that the "threat level" that the TerraLiner should be equipped to handle, should be calibrated to some of the more dangerous Second-World countries found in Latin America. Indeed, it would be a real shame if the TerraLiner could not travel throughout Latin America and the ex-Soviet Union because it had not been designed with sufficient forethought regarding security. However, the TerraLiner should not be designed to handle the threat level in a war zone, nor should it be designed to handle the threat level in very unstable and dangerous Third and Fourth-World countries in Africa.

Traveling through ex-Soviet Union countries is an important logistical requirement, because this would be the most natural way to reach China, from where Tibet, Japan, and Southeast Asia would also become accessible. Within 20 years Chinese-funded superhighways will probably connect China all the way down to Singapore by way of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, and from Singapore it would probably be a just a short hop by RORO (roll-on/roll-off) ferry to the Philippines, and/or Indonesia, and from there on to Australia. RORO carriers in SE Asia seem to constantly change, but here are some interesting leads -- see https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thornt.../topics/new-roro-ferry-davaocity-to-indonesia , http://www.montenegrolines.com.ph/index.php?nav=3&id=13 , http://www.montenegrolines.com.ph/index.php?nav=2&subnav=network&id=11 , http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/trip-transport/getting-se-asia-australia-car-39597 , http://www.philippines-addicts.com/forum/topic/35372-new-roro-ferry-between-palawan-and-borneo/# , and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=608820242493880&set=gm.551982974855933&type=1&theater .

Furthermore, as already discussed in previous posts, the TerraLiner will most definitely want to be able to travel throughout those parts of the world that one might classify as "HDI Yellow-Orange to Green" (i.e. "Human Development Index Yellow-Orange to Green") -- see especially post #1620 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain?p=1924103#post1924103 :



Untitled-1.jpg Untitled2.jpg



Notice how almost all of Latin America qualifies, as well as most ex-Soviet countries, China, most of southeast Asia, and so too the countries along the mediterranean coast of North Africa.

For extended discussions earlier in the thread of how outmoded it is to think of the planet in terms of a binary "First World versus Third World" opposition, see posts #226 and #227 on page 23, at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page23 , http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...igid-Torsion-Free-Frame?p=1586461#post1586461 , and http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...igid-Torsion-Free-Frame?p=1586462#post1586462 , as well as posts #711 and #712 on page 72, at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page72 , http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page72 , and http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...igid-Torsion-Free-Frame?p=1671356#post1671356 .

However, as also discussed earlier, there is a serious worry about crime in some Second-World and "high-end" Third World countries. See especially posts #1551 to #1553 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain?p=1923986#post1923986 and following; post #1619 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain?p=1924102#post1924102 ; and posts #2177 and #2178 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...s-A-Crossover-w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain/page218 . As already suggested, the maps produced by the "Peace Index" are fairly useless, because they incorporate political criteria (like spending per capita on the military) that do not matter one bit to the average traveller or overlander:



800px-GPI-world-map-2008.jpg Global_Peace_Index.svg.jpg
l_1529_a5cd38ef2d4f683aeeda509a59b00038.jpg peace_map.jpg




The basic problem is that, as near as I can tell, nobody has yet produced a transparent, clear world map backed up by a reputable data-set, which condenses the kinds of "safety statistics" that matter most to the average person, or the average middle-clas traveller. It's all fine and good to roll together metrics of military spending and foreign intervention with metrics like homicide or robbery, producing a "Peace Index" of the kind that only a smug, self-satisfied, pacifist Euro-Leftist would love. Norway or Germany are bound to come out smelling like roses when everything gets rolled into one, because they are not engaged in the dirty military work of maintaining the global capitalist system that has made them rich. So what's needed instead is a more "politically neutral" world map that merely condenses the kinds of statistics that would matter most to the average traveller, i.e. murders, rapes, assaults, robberies, carjackings, etc.; a world map that leaves out the politically loaded "Peacenik" metrics like military spending. And I say this as someone who actually is a pacifist and Euro-Leftist!!

There is always value in more "positivistic" information-gathering and mapping exercises that at least try to be politically neutral, even though all social scientific analysis is necessarily politically loaded to some extent. At the end of the day, what someone traveling through Namibia versus South Africa wants to know, is how safe they and their car will be. They really could not care less whether South Africa or Namibia have more military spending per-capita -- or less -- than the United States. A Left-polititicized Peace-Index loaded with too much extraneous information ceases to have concrete value for the average traveller. Yes, the Peace Index maps posted above are better than nothing, and they do seem to jibe with "Travel Warning" maps produced by Canada and Australia. But if anyone reading this knows of a world map of comparative crime and/or safety that is more focused, narrow, and politically neutral regarding the statistics that it condenses, please post!!! I've been trying to find one for at least a year, and so far have come up short.



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



Much more useful are world maps of the intentional homicide rate, Travel Advisory warning maps, and last but not least, a "Safety Index" or "Crime Index" map:



homicide-rates2.jpg Global_Homicide_Mises_Inst.jpg
original.jpg violence-map.jpg
World-Murder-Rate-Geocurrents-Map-1024x726 copy.jpg


Untitled.jpg atlantic-travel-safety.jpg


Untitled 15.jpg


These maps create an overall picture that by some criteria, Latin America is more dangerous than ex-Soviet Union countries; and by other criteria, ex-Soviet Union countries are more dangerous. Call it a wash, and the conclusion is reasonably clear: when it comes to safety and security, the TerraLiner needs to be designed specifically with these two regions in mind, Latin America and ex-Soviet Union countries. For TerraLiner exterior styling this means that, in so far as the TerraLiner will be a Vavilovian mimic, it will want to mimic the kinds of trucks typically found on the roads in Latin America, as well as the territory that was once the former Soviet Union.

Earlier in the thread I posted examples of 3-axle trucks towing trailers, but these images were clearly European trucks driving on European roads -- see post #2330 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain?p=2008591#post2008591 , and #2335 and #2336, section 4, at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...w-6x6-Hybrid-Drivetrain?p=2009152#post2009152 , and see the Flickr river at http://flickrhivemind.net/flickr_hv...ate Posted, new first&textinput=drawbar,lorry . There would not be much security value in the TerraLiner mimicking European trucks, because for the most part European countries are safe places to drive, with no worry about "truck-jacking". Likewise, there would not be much value in mimicking the "conventional" or "Cab behind engine" (CBE) designs of trucks used in Australia, the United States, and Canada, trucks that have long bonnets in front. Generally speaking these kinds of trucks are found only in North America and Australia, and both of these are comparatively safe places to motorhome.

So instead, what's wanted is to mimic trucks typically found on the roads in major South American countries like Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Columbia; in Central America; and in the territory of the former Soviet Union.


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


11. One problem with too-literal mimicry of a 3-axle freight truck: front ground-clearance and the approach angle


********************************************



Now one strategy might be to simply pick a given struck brand and model -- for instance, a Mercedes truck -- and then try to mimic its design as closely as possible:



18778019148_16d52aa171_o.jpg 18965603205_fa56cce650_o.jpg Fahrzeug-LKW-Actros-02-1024x721.jpg
22340040694_f81e0f5ddd_o.jpg 22570617669_e514a6fd45_o-3.jpg 22774765800_419f0d85cc_o.jpg
22614364495_a672ea2eb6_o.jpg 21991589674_c7aff87d1a_o.jpg 21991584714_fb175e44e3_o.jpg



However this might land one in copyright trouble, and for various additional reasons it would not be desirable to fully mimic such a truck. For one thing, 3-axle trucks that haul freight in Europe will tend to have a front spoiler that has only very minimal ground clearance. Reducing the height of the under-body gap at the front of a truck significantly improves the drag coefficient, and hence, reduces fuel consumption -- see page 22 of the pdf at http://www.ara.bme.hu/oktatas/letolt/Vehicleaerodyn/Vehicleaerodyn.pdf . The "spoiler" is number 3 in the first image below, a diagram of a COE truck:



2000px-COE_12-wheeler_truck_diagram.svg.jpg



A "bad-road" or and occasionally "off-road" vehicle like the TerraLiner cannot have such a front spoiler, because it needs good ground clearance in front, and an excellent "approach angle", even if this means that it will be somewhat less aerodynamic, and will have a worse drag coefficient.


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



Instead, a better vehicle precedent would be the front of a Mercedes Actros dump/mining/construction truck:



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************





Or, alternatively, the same kind of truck produces by MAN, namely, the TGS. This is the truck most commonly used as a Dakar support vehicle, and it's also the chassis base used by Armadillo, Action Mobil, and UniCat for their larger motorhomes:



10 images



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


10 images


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************


10 images


********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



However, even these trucks are not quite the right precedents, because the TerraLiner will not be a "COE" design. Rather, because its two generators will be mounted on the sides, the cab floor of the TerraLiner could potentially reach very low down indeed, much like the cab floor at the front of the Rosenbauer Panther, while still maintaining an excellent approach angle:



4 images



This is such a huge potential "bonus" benefit of the TerraLiner's generator placement, that it would be a shame to squander it just because Vavilovian mimicry will also be a desirable design goal. A common complaint against bus-like Class A motorhomes is that it is impossible for the driver to enter/exit the vehicle directly from where he is sitting. Instead, as per large inter-city coaches, there is usually only one entrance/exit on the passenger side, although some inter-city coaches will also have a second, mid-vehicle entrance/exit as well.

In other words, one precedent that will continue to be useful is the cab configuration of MAN HX and SX trucks, because in these trucks the engine locates behind and not below the cab, so MAN designers were free to create a cab floor that is very easily accessible from the outside:



6 images entering/exiting HX or SX cab, and of Cab interior, if I can find them



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************



10 images, if I can find them





These vehicles are actually the design precedent of the Panther: the Panther is more or less a futuristic-looking cab with large windshield directly derived from the MAN HX and SX cabs.



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

biotect

Designer
..
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST


********************************************




So directly mimicking a standard sort of European 3-axle freight hauler with a front spoiler that drops very low, would not be a good idea, nor even directly mimicking a Mercedes Actros or MAN TGS. Instead, what's wanted is a slightly more "futuristic" looking version of the same basic vehicle type, a vehicle that says "fashion forward" by about 3 or 4 years, but that seems to resemble a cross between such vehicles in many of its design details. From a purely aerodynamic perspective, the best shape at the front of the truck would be a reasonably narrow wedge, of the kind that becomes possible if the driver sits in the center of the cab, and there's only seating for just him alone. We can see this in the Walmart/Captsone/xxx concept truck, as well as MAN's concept S truck:


10 images + videos



********************************************

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
186,690
Messages
2,888,989
Members
226,872
Latest member
Supreet.dhaliwal
Top