FAQ

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Question
Answer
How is an Airtab® attached to the truck and trailer? Double sided adhesive tape for most applications and for those vehicles with slightly uneven sides where tape would not provide a good bond, a polyurethane glue.The tape is Acrylic and has no petroleum products.
What are they made of and will they take extreme temperatures? The Airtabs™ are made with Centrex® 810. The materials have been chosen for their UV performance and additional UV protection is added. We keep a watch for new materials all the time. Once fitted, they form a very strong bond to the surface but will not damage the paint surface below. They have been installed now for several years in Australia, South Africa, Europe and North America- from Florida to Alaska (winter and summer operations). These temperatures are well within the operating range of the materials.
What are the ideal installation conditions?


For warranty purposes, Airtabs™ should be installed with the surface
temperature of the vehicle +40°F (+5 °C) or warmer. All surfaces must be dry, clean of all contaminants and cleaning solvents. Simply put, the cleaner, dryer and warmer the better.
What colour is an Airtab® ? White and Black are the basic colours, although for large orders we can colour match in the injection molding.
How many do I need? Measure the sides and the roof of the Vehicle at the back. They are placed 3 per running foot (4” inches on center) spaced as shown in the Install Guide.
Can they placed farther apart than 4" - I have some unequally spaced ribs on my trailer. Placing them closer together than 4" causes some slight interference, and obviously requires more Airtabs™ . Much as we'd like to sell more, closer spacing is counterproductive.
Can they be painted? Yes, in accordance with the specification of the paint you have chosen. Some paints such as Krylon Fusion from Sherwin Williams is made specifically for Plastic and does not require a primer.
Does the Airtab tape have any petroleum in it? No the tape is an acrylic base.
I am going to put Airtab® s on my tractor and trailer after I have it painted. How long should I wait before I may attach the Airtab® s? I would check with the painter and read the paint specification. Once the
painter or manufacturer says the paint is cured you can apply them.
Do the Airtab® have to be painted prior to being fitted? Not necessary, but installed prior to painting the vehicle, they will blend in even better.
How long does it take to fit a truck and regular trailer? You can install the Airtabs™ yourself. If its your first install expect to spend an hour or so, reading instructions and getting familiar with the placement. For subsequent installs we estimate about 20-30 minutes for a typical trailer, and same for a tractor.
What tools are required to fit a truck and trailer?

• Sufficient Airtab® s, spacing templates, tape measure and masking tape.
• Automotive soap & water, degreaser (if necessary), Varsol or any paint thinner. Do not use Windex and other glass cleaners.
• Supply of clean shop rags or equivalent paper product.
• Scaffolding or secure work platform (preferred) or ladder.
• Wheel chocks.

See Install Guide
I am operating a fleet of tractors that have over the cab fairing and side fairing. The dealer represented to me that because of the aerodynamic design, I would be operating at with maximum aerodynamic efficiency provided I maintained a tractor-trailer gap between 15 to 30 inches. I operate a reefer trailer and do not have a problem maintaining this tractor-trailer gap requirement. Can the Airtab® device decrease the drag even further? Please explain how it will be able to do this. First of all, Airtab® complement any existing aerodynamic kits regardless of the
gap. Tractor trailer gaps of less than 15" are often impractical due to turning requirements and loads on the steering tires. In any case, the tractor-trailer gap is a compromise between aerodynamics and steering tire loads. Moving the 5th wheel back slightly normally improves turning ability and reduces the load on the steering tires, improving both steering tire life and driver effort to turn the wheels.
Normally moving
the 5th wheel back beyond 18 inches increases the aerodynamic drag and reduces fuel economy. Using Airtab® to bridge the tractor-trailer gap will let the 5th wheel be moved back with no compromise in fuel economy.
Additional benefits from Airtab® are that when there is a cross or side wind (which is nearly all the time)less wind gets into the gap. Less wind in the gap between tractor and trailer means less dirt and grit gets in this area, and the back of the tractor stays cleaner. All the important connections and mechanical parts back of the tractor get less dirt on them. Those who operate in winter conditions report much less (often no) snow buildup on the back of the tractor. We also have had reports of reduced flexing of side fairings (extenders) which increases their life, and that there is less booming effect making the cab quieter.
Has NASA ever tested the product called Airtab® manufactured by Aeroserve Technology? NASA tested the basic shape that is used by Airtab® . They found them to be the lowest drag vortex generator they had seen. There are several technical papers written on vortex generators and other drag reducing devices, and the Airtab® shape was amongst those tested. This is not imply that NASA endorses Airtabs™ – they never endorse commercial products.
Has NASA tested the Wheeler vortex generator, which was what the Airtab® design was based? And is NASA currently using a vortex generator in their wind tunnels? NASA has tested the Wheeler vortex generator quite extensively, and published the results in a number of technical papers. It is our understanding that NASA is using a variant of the Wheeler VG in their wind tunnels to improve the aerodynamics.
Will the Airtab® have any effect on drag reduction with a tractor-trailer gap less than 18 inches? Airtabs™ are particularly effective in cross wind conditions as they help minimize the flow of air across the gap to the "downwind" side of the trailer. If there is a measurable wind, inherently crosswinds will be a factor. Although the drag from a gap less than 18 inches is minimal, we recommend the application of Airtabs™ to combat crosswind induced turbulence and drag at the gap.
At the other end of the scale, Airtabs™ are producing excellent results with gaps as great as 60 inches.
How close to the back of the tractor or trailer? The Airtab® should not be placed any farther than 14 inches from the trailing edge of the tractor or trailer.

Is that measured from the Airtab® to the trailer, or from the trailing edge of the tractor to the trailer?

Correct – much farther forward from the back of the tractor (or trailer) and a good deal of the effectiveness is wasted against the vehicle. Place the Airtabs™ within 8 to 10" from the very back of the vehicle. The distance is measured from the furthest back edge of the side extenders (if fitted) or the back of the cab.
Is it True that the vertical separation of each Airtab® can not be closer than 4 inches (point to point) and no farther apart than 6 inches.?

There is no maximum distance apart, but prudence would dictate about 5-6". If we need, say 75 at 4"on center to have a 3% improvement in fuel economy effect at the back of a trailer, spacing them at 8" on center would probably give a 1.5% savings (half as many Airtab® ). We have no hard evidence to prove this, but it is a good rule of thumb. Placing the Airtabs™ closer together than 4" causes some slight interference between the vortices produced, and obviously requires more Airtabs™ . Much as we’d like to sell more, closer spacing is counterproductive.
What is the spacing for Airtab® placement? Airtab® are normally spaced about 1" apart at the wide end, (4" on center between the pointed ends). This spacing can be adjusted, if needed. Each kit contains sufficient Airtab® to equip a tractor or a trailer of normal size.
Would you recommend putting Airtabs on the top of the Air-conditioning units on top of my RV? Yes, these units stick up into the air flow and cause drag, the Airtabs placed on the will help reduce this drag. The same rules apply, use three per foot.
I have been in the transportation business many years and have never heard of the Airtab® . How long have they been in use?

Airtabs™ have been quite a long time in development. We wanted to make sure we had the materials, mounting methods and so on right before we hit the market in a large way. We also obviously wanted to make sure they did what we claimed they would do. We have worked with our test fleets to ensure the claims we are making and the technicalities are correct.

And the trucking industry is rightly skeptical of anything new.

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