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Old 05-20-2009, 07:46 PM   #34 (permalink)
Bicycle Bob
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The wing sections were selected for types that had a fairly consistent center of pressure at varying angles of attack, to reduce the need for compensating forces from the tail surfaces. When designing for streamlining, the variable lift figure (side force in a crosswind) is an unwanted by-product, but it matters less just where it is centered; it is almost inevitably too far forward. We are now seeing blowover accidents moving from hydroplanes, to Funny Cars, to Le Mans, and side winds have always been a problem for streamlined HPVs. Since better streamlining almost always produces more potential for lift, I think it behooves us to move the masses forward as much as possible, and consider tail fins to restore directional stability. If you hit a patch of wet glare ice in a strong crosswind, you should get shoved over, not spun around.
The silver lining is that a crosswind can actually reduce drag. Someday, we might see rear-wheel steering to let cars angle into the wind like sailboats.
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