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Old 06-02-2011, 07:14 PM   #126 (permalink)
aerohead
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think

Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic View Post
Thanks for chiming-in, aerohead. This latest version follows the red line. The previous fairly flat spoiler is in the photo. It showed a 0.60mpg gain. This one showed a 1.35mpg loss. Some of the photos of Civics with spoilers (racing cars) others posted here were contained to the trunk profile. It was a source of inspiration. I think these may be more about generating downforce, however, no? As for turbulance between the endplates and the tail-lights, I have to admit I simply don't know. I'm thinking of something smaller now. Foils really. Street legal and all. What do you think?
We're kinda in the shadows on this.If the original foil had been horizontal you would have been very close,if not on the 'line.' I did this on my CRX,but also extended the hatch buttresses along the 'Template' line out to the foil and went ahead and enclosed the foil to create a short boat tail.It added only a foot to the car but got the Cd to 0.235,added 8 mph to the top speed and pushed me immediately to over 60 mpg at the old double nickel speed limit.
Basjoos has seen 90 mpg with his AEROCIVIC.The air loves his car!
Seems like the racing Civics would be trading mpg for downforce.
Danika Patrick just lost the Indy 500 because of her front wing and the extra fuel consumption it cost her for the downforce setting she was comfortable with( not to mention a bunch of yellow flag laps which destroyed her pitstop strategy).
If a Civic can carry speed through the curves and chicanes due to the wings,then they've got an edge.
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On current production cars you'll notice that the trunklids are a lot higher .The air likes this.
You could construct a 'hollow' projection which runs above the trunklid,from the backlight,out to as far as the bumper,which has sides which wrap down to meet the sides of the car.It would be like the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am Firebird,only full-length.
You'd be able to look right through it.The air would re-attach onto the back of it,capturing a vortex above it like Lamborghini,Porsche,Lotus,and Ferrari have used with their backward facing step backlights.
Just thinking out loud.
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