TWIZY REAR SPOILER – PART 2

This post really picks up from the initial development in Part 1. The reason for creating a seperate post and not adding to the first is because I chose a different design due to the materials used, and the physical limits they have. The bodywork / cladding of the Twizy is made of formed plastic. This was my anchor point for the rear wing i am fabricating. As you can imagine the material flexes as it was only ever designed to offer cladding, style and aerodynamics. As a standard Twizy, it’s smooth shape would offer next to no wind resistance at the rear, and there would be no need to have to anchor the rear bodywork to the main structure other than a few self tapping screws and locating lugs. So, introducing a whole load of additional components to the rear cowling was only ever going to increase the stresses imposed on it, and I felt that the extra weight would be a major contributor to its failure.

So I adapted my strategy based on the above, and chose a slightly less radical approach. I had done most of the hard work last year in creating the upper aerofoil element, and connecting bracket. Items were also fabricated for the full on “F1” style side foils and lower wing.

Matching up and building bottom fixings

So my compromise was for the fitment of the upper wing, along with some small side elements. I made these out of some thin aluminum sheet. This was carefully cut after a template was made, drilled, folded where necessary, etch primed and painted, before epoxy gluing, and pop riveting together.

Aluminum parts cut and folded
Matching up the components and testing the drill holes with the rivets
Etch primer applied to make a key for the top coat paint
Folded profile

As you can probably imagine, even though the components were relatively small, this was not a particularly quick process. That said, I feel it was all worth it in the end. The following photos show the final product once painted, bonded to the bodywork and fixed to the car.

I will conclude this by saying that this may or may not be the final product. It’s more discreet than the full on F1 Twizy spoiler, but it would still be nice to have been able to have gone down that route. I feel that this is really a matter of materials and the structure they offer. With Carbon Fibre this could have been easily achieved, but I am happy to have been able to make my Twizy a little more unique with this compromise. 🙂


Comments

3 responses to “TWIZY REAR SPOILER – PART 2”

  1. Paul Johnson Avatar
    Paul Johnson

    ? Good job mate

  2. This version is even better! Your level of perfection is amazing.

    1. Thanks. Who are you?

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