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Old 12-28-2009, 10:01 PM   #13 (permalink)
Otto
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This reminds me of a "spike" appendage tested on rockets about 30 years ago, as shown in Aviation Week and Space Technology. I think it was a SLBM rocket, fairly short and squatty to fit in the submarine launch tubes. Upon deployment, the spike (which looked like a big spike or nail, with the disk head at front) moved forward on a telescoping tube or rod. The wind blast hit that, shed, and formed a sort of aerodynamic bubble in which the main rocket body traveled. Overall, it reduced drag at high speeds as the missile accelerated.

I've wondered about using such an idea on a motorcycle, which being narrower, would presumably mean a smaller disk deployed closer to the headlight. As it is, there is quite a lot of turbulence and buffeting behind a standard windscreen, due to Von Karmann vortex street effect. Trick is to shed such oscillations far enough behind the rider's helmet to keep the helmet in a protected bubble, where it is much quieter. With this device, perhaps the whole upper bike could run in the bubble wake.

Thoughts?
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