Quote:
Originally Posted by dcb
saw this, but it reads like weight is a bigger factor
MIKE KLOEBER'S NITRO UNIVERSITY - COURSE 2, THE DRAGSTER BODY AND AERODYNAMICS
with cars that push 300mph, and that cover a lot of ground at higher speeds, I have to wonder.
i.e. you cannot ignore that big blue plume of low pressure behind the car without considering a boat tail, that low pressure is acting on the rear of the vehicle and is going to be pulling the car back for a large part of the track, exponential with speed.
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Something Paul Jaray wrote about long ago,with respect to race cars,was that the open rear wheels are good for directional stability because of their drogue affect( a transom if you will ).
If the rear wheels are enclosed or streamlined,then a vertical rear fin is absolutely mandatory.
At present,the 'draggy' wrinkle-walls are providing a stabilizing effect.
The added mass of the boat tail will have to factored along with the additional mass of the new fin when calculating F= MA.