Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonye81
Any claim for a 20% boost in MPG is always going to look dodgy!
For years aircraft have had micro-drilled holes in wing surfaces, which (if I remember correctly) create tiny pockets of low pressure when an airflow moves over the wing surface. The low pressure helps keep the airflow attached to the wing surface, albeit for the purposes of generating lift rather than reducing drag, but hey I guess it can work both ways. Fans of The Simpsons may remember Homer pickaxe'ing "speed holes" into his car, although they were slightly bigger than a fraction of a millimetre...
Any aero experts out there feel free to point out the bits I got wrong!
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those holes iirc were fed by a compressor which caused them to ooze air
making the wings more productive during takeoff and landing effecively
lowering stall speed. bummer when they iced up though!
on the golfball skin... i remeber cycling helmets in the 90's that employed that thought. according to the tech which seemed to know his stuff, they worked.
on sharkskin it is not only the texture of the skin but also the loose, flabby
layers beneath the skin that allow oscilations by the sharks own movements
as well as the waters to be absorbed/disbursed, to make it such an efficent traveler.
longitudinal not transverse strips of silicone have been employed by both bicycle clothing manufatures as well as competitive swimwear companies - usually only to eventuallly get outlawed during competition.
i belive it was the last year that lance and his crew was sponsored by
discovery channel their speed suits as well as regular shorts/tops donned
tiny silicone dots throughout....
on surfboards and sailboards transverse 400 grit sandpaper scratches
are said to be the most effective surface treatment for speed.
that same grit is also supposed to simulate the surface texture
of extrude hone which is popularly used to smooth intake
manifolds for racing.
then of course during the 80's there was a 928 in competition
that sported reversed, raised (instead of sunken) NACA ducts
on parts of his vehicle. inspitation for airtabs???
lotsa surfaces can do lotsa good stuff if employed properly!