C3's Aerodynamics??????
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 0
From: Berlin
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (1969Vette350)
The book is "New Directions in Race Car Aerodynamics" by Joseph Katz. Its filled with interesting graphs like that. And its not for a college course. :D
I think that moveable aerodynamic devices are banned in all the major races. Something about unfair advantage :lol:. I think McLaren F1's actually have a spoiler that comes up when braking at high speed. Its small though. I couldn't imagine an all-out air brake. :crazy:
That same book mentions fan cars as another way of generating downforce (with almost no drag penalty). Someone stuck a big fan attached to a snowblower engine on the back of the car with bodywork designed to make it act like a vacuum. It was banned a year or two later, but completely dominated the other cars while it existed.
[Modified by aharte, 8:38 AM 6/4/2003]
I think that moveable aerodynamic devices are banned in all the major races. Something about unfair advantage :lol:. I think McLaren F1's actually have a spoiler that comes up when braking at high speed. Its small though. I couldn't imagine an all-out air brake. :crazy:
That same book mentions fan cars as another way of generating downforce (with almost no drag penalty). Someone stuck a big fan attached to a snowblower engine on the back of the car with bodywork designed to make it act like a vacuum. It was banned a year or two later, but completely dominated the other cars while it existed.
[Modified by aharte, 8:38 AM 6/4/2003]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,286
Likes: 8
From: San Jose California
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (aharte)
Someone stuck a big fan attached to a snowblower engine on the back of the car with bodywork designed to make it act like a vacuum. It was banned a year or two later, but completely dominated the other cars while it existed.
Chuck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (Chuck Harmon)
Hall's Chapparal Can Am cars were way ahead of the pack in several areas. His "sucker" cars with the separate fan to generate downforce were waaaay out of the box. They were so good that the opposition got them banned in less than a season.
Hall was also one of the first to install flexible skirts all around his race cars to prevent turbulence and uplift.
I believe he was also one of the first to use auto tranmissions in big time racing.
Hall was also one of the first to install flexible skirts all around his race cars to prevent turbulence and uplift.
I believe he was also one of the first to use auto tranmissions in big time racing.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (flynhi)
Hall's Chapparal Can Am cars were way ahead of the pack in several areas. ...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (Ganey)
No question that Hall had Chevy support. He was running alum big blocks with innerds supplied by GM. But I'm told by people who worked with him in Midland,Tx (my home town) that the sucker idea was Halls.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 708
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From: Renton Wa
Re: C3's Aerodynamics?????? (flynhi)
Here's my question, Couldn't the whole rear end act as a potential wing? If you can create a low pressure under the car, then high pressure over the car, the car would suck to the ground. So with just the little lip style spoilers, wouldn't they be sufficent if you had a low pressure under the car? I notived in some recent shows some F1 cars using a low profile wing instead of the standard high profile ones. Perhaps logic was mistaken, perhaps the simple solution to downforce by applying a large wing was rethought that if you make the whole car act like a reverse wing, it would essentially provide the same result, Still have drag but in a good way. is this a crazy thought?
