A 12in male mold was created using the process intended for the real fairing. Profiles from the front to the rear of the vehicle were printed and cut out. The shapes were then traced onto pink 1in thick insulation foam and cut out. A reference circle was placed on each profile to ensure proper alignment. The foam pieces were skewered, glued, clamped and left to cure as seen in Figure 62. After curing, the excess foam between the cross sections was sanded down to the desired shape as seen in Figure 63. The male plug was covered with tin foil and covered with 3 layers of paper mache to form the hollow fairing as seen in Figure 64.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The prototype was initially created to learn out about the interior spacing of the fairing and how the frame fits. However, the dimensions of the prototype were not very accurate and the paper mache was not rigid. Still, we learned about the manufacturing process when making the prototype. Horizontal profiles for the foam should be used as opposed to the vertical profiles used for the prototype because less foam pieces would need to be used, introducing less error.

It was difficult to sand the foam smoothly into shape. Plaster can be placed on top of the foam to allow for better sanding. The paper mache prototype was cut open as shown in Figure 65 and will be used to explore mounting and closure methods. The male plug can be reused later for composite fabrication practice.