Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
I don't think there's a dedicated thread, and I'm not sure if Ernie sells these. Perhaps he'll start a thread.
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I am greatly impressed by the level of conversation here. No, I have not tried to sell plans or anything for my wing. In 2004, I visited the VW design center in California. The lead guy was very knowledgeable (can't remember his name) but he said the top management just weren't interested in low drag designs. And, he probably thought it looked funny. But that was ages ago.
It's easy to make a wing that works well. Just shape it to raise the pressure in the back without getting in the way--let the flow descend slightly. I added a trick-- I left a crack of about one inch between the wing and the body to keep the flow attached as it transitioned to the wing. The entire design was by "feel"-- no calculations or tests were done.
The problem with duplicating my wing is in making the attachment. It is a steel piece that fits over the edge on each side and is secured with screws into the underside of the hatch where they don't show. There is no easy way to make these pieces without a lot of drawing, and then fabricating.
Anyway, many people have asked about it but nobody has built one. I think it has very low commercial value now that the "old" Beetle is due to be discontinued after 2009.
Ernie Rogers