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Old 05-17-2010, 04:33 PM   #8 (permalink)
aerohead
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto View Post
Thanks Aerohead.

I'd use all the same attach points, but where the 944 Turbo nose now breaks the natural sloping line of the hood and upper section of the panel between headlights, I'd just continue that line on down to the stagnation point. No more pop-up headlights, which are uber-draggy. Instead of long rectilinear slots for the cooling air intake, I'd consolidate that draggy design into on probably elliptical inlet at the stagnation point. Instead of a bumper cover, 2 headlight covers, and a panel between headlights, make all that one piece.

The front bumper is secured by shock absorbers, and that part would stay intact for safety reasons, as would all attach points.

Instead of separate light fixtures on each side for a headlight, 2 turn signal lights, a fog light, and a driving light down where they get sandblasted and rock chipped/broken, I'd consolidate all that into one covered fixture with the headlight, up out of the rock chip zone. Sorta a combination of Jag XKE and latest version Corvette.

This would weigh considerably less than what's on there now.

I'll check Hucho. Thanks for the suggestion.

Got any other sources of nose optimization ideas?
Everything I have basically says ignore the nose,work on the rear of the car.
Hucho refers to 'saturation',which infers that beyond a certain degree of leading edge radius,increasing the radius will return basically zero benefit.
It's my opinion that a nose should be 'idealized' as White showed in his Cd 0.24 recipe car.A full semi-circular nose ( in plan view ) with Morelli's dropped fenders,highly rounded,everything faired in under Lexan.
This would give the best sectional density,most gentle pressure gradients,average flow accelerations,minimum pressure spikes,and best quality flow aft,to allow best performance of aft-body streamlining which is TOTALLY DEPENDENT on fore-body flow.But that's just MHO.
Much of what is printed is within the context of maintaining the 'flavor' of a stylist's 'design'.
The Record Vehicles use the good stuff.
You might re-visit Solaraycer,MG EX 181,Mickey Thompson's "Pumkinseed," the Viking series of vehicles from Western Washington State Univ.
basjoos AERO CIVIC' nose wouldn't hurt.
The 'experts' will whine.Follow your inner voice.
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