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Old 08-12-2017, 01:18 PM   #5 (permalink)
aerohead
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early

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenn348 View Post
Attachment 22367

I'm wondering if it would work to start the teardrop shape early on the car, at the nose, by redirecting air flow upward at the nose. That way, the teardrop would be formed in the front, and a shorter, more reasonable boat tail could be formed in the back.

Thoughts?
In plan-view,The Schl'o'rwagen begins it's taper with the first few feet of the body and comes in at Cd 0.186.
The original 1987 GM/AeroVironment Impact began it's plan-taper in the middle of the door.
The conventional wisdom for early low drag bodies was,follow the fast pelagic fishes and marine mammals.Make the largest cross-section of the body within the first 33% of the body,then use the rest of the 66% for the aft-body pressure recovery.
Cambridge University's CUER,Cd 0.11 solar racer is a good recent example.
To modifying an existing vehicle would be limited to a body-on-frame type,discarding the entire body,narrowing the rear axle,then building a body to enclose it based upon a streamline body.
You'd be looking at many years of fabrication.Millions of dollars if you had to pay someone to do it.
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