Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Yeah, but it "leaves more room for boattailing" only if the passengers have been shifted forward, or if the rear passengers are headless. Pretty much can't shift them forward on a regular Bug chassis- their feet are already virtually up against the front suspension/steering stuff.
|
I think this is where the seating layout comes into play. This is why I earlier posted Neil's seating layout.
I think you can move a center driver up a good 6 inches in the VW.
I think a single rear passenger (centered or sitting sideways) will allow better tapering of the canopy.
At this point we have a tandem seating layout if sticking to an 8 foot wheelbase. The decision to go longer in the wheelbase is a tough one but makes perfect sense in aerodynamics, right?
Advantage of our basic shape is the middle part or front 1/3 is the wide part, so that is where side by side seating is allowed.
Like I said earlier I've struggled for a long time with these issues (30 years), it's just one of those problems I like to try and solve as many ways as I can. Never was one much for math, this is my kind of 3D puzzle.
The flat plane wedge shaped cars I played with in the late 70's and early 80's were much simpler, but of course less aero than these tadpoles we are playing with now.
Bullfrog Tadpoles - Other pond critters
