Interesting Aerodynamic Cars (Mike Vetter's ETV, also Avion)

[Frank Lee]

I like this little bug (not the train): Ball-Shaped TRAIN Pulled By Magnets | Modern Mechanix

A bit of info: http://www.landspeedracing.com/2009/09newsletter96/

[NeilBlanchard]

Here it is:



It apparently has a lift problem.

[freebeard]

Frank Lee -- What's not to like about the train? Those people in the interior shot look pretty calm considering they riding a 300mph bowling ball on an unmodified railroad track.

I'm starting to see a theme in your profile pictures.

[Frank Lee]

I'm starting to see a theme in your profile pictures.

Happy happy joy joy?

[freebeard]

Um, yeah; that's it.

I always imagine you with the pointy hat.

NeilBlanchard -- No lift problem here:

[some_other_dave]

No lift problem, but quite a bit of drag. Less drag from tunnels than from wings, but still some.

-soD

[freebeard]

Less drag from tunnels than from wings, but still some.

Can you provide a citation? I'm interested.

I found some additional material on that car. It was all about negative lift, not low drag.


It was built in 1977, but the drawing is dated 1967. It appears there are one front fender and two rear fenders that ride with the wheels.

[NeilBlanchard]

There appear to be two inverted airfoil shapes and they are angled down - so they would probably add drag.

[some_other_dave]

Sorry, no citation for you. However, similar cars like the Porsche 956 (which seems to have been the first of their "tunnel cars") had a cD of over 0.5, which is hardly good from our perspective. The cDA was lower than would have been seen by a conventional winged car making the same downforce, but it still wasn't exactly great.

-soD

[freebeard]

Wow, Colani designed the Porsche 959.


Possibly the least radical thing he ever did but that explains those rear fender air scoops. Apparently Porsche added the lower front scoops at the last minute, which explains the mismatch. That makes it an "interesting aerodynamic car".