Quote from: RE on Feb 20, 2024, 12:00 AM

Quote from: 18hammers on Feb 19, 2024, 10:17 PMThat electric car type is in my future, I am getting there in steps, already have electric bikes, Fat tire electric bikes for the gravel roads around me, have all the spare parts to keep them running. I have started building my own electric velomobile, but not like those flimsy fiberglass ones. Mine will be the velomobile equivalent of a 79 Lincoln continental in comfort. I have the rough frame done, a exact copy of a guy named Lothar from the bike forum's. Not his new design's but of the style he was building back in 2014/15 ish. I have the belly pan to add and a domed top, the top is the bubble canopy off a De Havilland Chipmonk. Not the British canopy, but the Canadian one as shown here,  https://www.vikingair.com/viking-aircraft/dhc-1-chipmunk.

I'd love to see the design, if you could do a drawing or schematic.  I don't see fiberglass as being flimsy, it's generally a lot lighter than working with sheet metal for the body, and unless you have really good metal working experience, it's quite difficult to make the complex curves to make it aerodynamically efficient.  I did some fiberglass boat building, and it's quite easy to get any shape you want out of it.  The strength comes from the frame and chassis underneath the fiberglass.  Steel bicycle tubing makes a great frame, although aluminum tubing saves a lot of weight.  Welding much easier with steel though.

When you start the build, make some how to videos!  I'll put them up on our YouTube channel.  :)

RE

I can't figure out how to post pictures here or I would show you, but I can post a link to one of lothars builds, mine is similar, but will be finished in aluminum sheeting, closed in the bottom with the bubble canopy and maybe, just maybe finished in a complete wrap if I find a pattern I like.
 https://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forum/main-category/specialty-discussions/homebuilders/103447-plywoodtrike-vers-2?t=102754&highlight=wood&page=3