Thread: Morelli Shape
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Old 09-06-2010, 07:37 PM   #48 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
Hi Matt,

Mercedes may have accounted for the scale difference/Reynolds Number by increasing the velocity; we don't know? I tend to think that they know enough to have the right number. The final Bionic is a real car with a Cd of 0.19, and the progression up from the fish, fish model, car model, to the built car, all fit.

The Goldenrod has a Cd of 0.11-0.12. You could be right about the Dolphin, but the AeroCivic is ~0.17.
Neil,

What I mean is, while the blue clay model may have had a Cd of 0.095, I disbelieve that its basic body shape would make for lower drag than that of the other cars I mentioned. A direct translation from blue clay model to real, drivable car (which M-B didn't do) would add considerable drag and would give it an impressive but not unprecedented Cd, and a rather ordinary CdA.

Matt
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