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Old 08-16-2010, 11:06 PM   #59 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
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The biggest problem with mirrors is the trailing end. For good aerodynamics, you need a boat tail. But in order to see out of them, they need to be flat. The best you can do is decrease their size.

The round leading edge of the mirror is actually pretty close to optimal. That's not intuitive, but take a look at all the low-drag record cars out there, and look at streamline illustrations for various nose shapes.

When you're designing your mirrors, don't forget that airflow in that region has an upward component as well. That may explain the flat bottom, round top of most automotive mirrors.
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