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Old 01-14-2013, 11:48 PM   #64 (permalink)
freebeard
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Smurf -- I created it for this thread, to raise that question. It ran three pages but it ends up discussing the Volkhart-Sagitta. For various reasons, in ground effect I think you want a triangular cross-section, like the ME-262.

GoGogebic -- Search on 'interference drag'. There's different aspects to drag; form drag, skin friction, &etc. It's why biplanes can't have their wings too close together. In this case turbulence caused by the main body, the inner side of the pontoon and the individual suspension and drive components interacts. There's others who could state it more authoritatively than me, aerohead for instance, but the original research goes back to GMs wind tunnels.

Or you could declare the point irrelevant; that's what they do with Formula 1 race cars (fast but dirty aerodynamically). You might notice the car design in my profile picture uses airfoil section torsion bar hourings.

Here's a pontoon fender that is like yours in the back half. Frank Lockhart's Stutz Blackhawk:


One of the problems with off-road racing motorcycles is that they aren't a stable platform for lighting. With the lights in the fenders, they point with the wheels, which is good, but on a rough surface, shadows will be bouncing around. Consider a center headlight too, like that Tucker.

Last edited by freebeard; 01-15-2013 at 12:04 AM..
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