Storm Chaser Aerodynamics

[99metro]

Just saw this on USAToday website. Got me to thinking about a front dam for the Chevy Metro...




Story:

Meet the oddball vehicles of danger-seeking tornado chasers - Drive On: A conversation about the cars and trucks we drive - USATODAY.com

[botsapper]

Don't think the aerodynamics of the Storm Chaser will help much, unless it is deeply bolted down the highway. Sometimes hundreds of tons won't even help.
Train vs. Tornado • VideoSift: Online Video *Quality Control

[Sulfuric]

That car looks sweeeeet.
I wish I could do front and rear wheel skirts like that! It looks ready to rock!!

[vielecustoms]

I'm not sure about that one but there is another tornado chaser with a truck that is similar shape. it smoothed out the air flow but generally it was more because they used heavier steel (hard to bend or curve) for weight and protection so they could get closer to film the tornado and run experiments.

[Bicycle Bob]

If you can get that skirt to seal down to the road, a common shop vac could get 20 to 30 tons of anchor force on a truck that size.

[99metro]

I thin the idea of being close to the ground is to minimize the negative pressure under the vehicle to help prevent the tornado from lifting it. Kinda cool though.