Drag reducing deflector

1. A side deflector assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle having a lead body, a trailing body, and a gap formed therebetween, the side deflector assembly comprising:

a first side deflector movable between a retracted position in which the first side deflector is substantially aligned with a first side of the vehicle, and an extended position in which the first side deflector extends outwardly from the first side of the vehicle at a selected angle;

a second side deflector movable between a retracted position in which the second side deflector is substantially aligned with a second side of the vehicle, and an extended position in which the second deflector extends outwardly from the second side of the vehicle at a selected angle; and

a control system associated with the first and second side deflectors and adapted to independently position the first and second side deflectors between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein the control system includes at least one cross wind sensor that senses the direction of a cross wind relative to the vehicle and a controller that selects a windward side deflector from the first and second side deflectors based on the sensed direction of the cross wind and articulates only the windward side deflector to the extended position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the control system further includes first and second actuators associated with the first and second side deflectors, the actuation of which causes the side deflectors to move between the retracted position and the extended position.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the control system further includes means for moving the side deflectors between the retracted position and the extended position.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein actuation of the actuators occurs in response to one or more control signals transmitted from the controller.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the side deflectors are movable from the retracted position to a braking position in which the side deflectors are at least partially disposed into the airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the extended position of the windward side deflector is selected from a group consisting of a plurality of positions in which the windward side deflector extend outwardly from the windward side of the vehicle at a selected angle, the extended position being dependent on the directional value sensed by the cross flow sensor.

7. A side panel assembly for selectively manipulating an aerodynamic drag of a vehicle having a lead body, a trailing body, and a gap formed therebetween, the side panel assembly comprising:

(a) first and second side deflectors movable between a retracted position in which the side deflectors are substantially aligned with the sides of the vehicle, at least one extended position in which the side deflectors extend outwardly from the side of the vehicle at a selected angle, and a braking position in which the side deflectors are at least partially disposed into the airstream passing along the side of the vehicle to increase a drag coefficient of the vehicle; and

(b) a control system associated with the first and second side deflectors and adapted to selectively and independently position the first and second side deflectors between the retracted position, the at least one extended position, and the braking position, wherein the control system includes at least one cross wind sensor that senses the direction of a cross wind relative to the vehicle and a controller for effecting asymmetrical articulation of one of the first and second side deflectors to the at least one extended position with respect to the other one of the first and second side deflectors in response to the sensed crosswind.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the controller moves the first and second side deflectors to the braking position upon receipt of a signal indicative of vehicle braking.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the control system further includes first and second actuators associated with the first and second side deflectors, the actuation of which causes the side deflectors to move between the retracted position, the at least one extended position, and the braking position.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the control system further includes means for moving the side deflectors between the retracted position, the at least one extended position, and the braking position.

11. A method for manipulating the aerodynamic drag on a vehicle in a cross wind condition, the vehicle having first and second side deflectors independently movable to a extended position, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing a cross wind condition; and in response to the sensed cross wind

deploying only one of the first and second side deflectors to the extended position, the extended side deflector being on the windward side of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the extended position is a position in which the side deflectors extend outwardly from the side of the vehicle at a selected angle.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising

sensing a braking condition of the vehicle; and

extending the first and second deflector to the extended position.