Thanks for thinking about this.
Quote:
|
The (left) body produced Cd 0.12,the (right) body Cd 0.21.
|
That's gold right there. I assert that even though the squircle is mathematically demonstrably half-way between, it is closer to the half-body aerodynamically ...but/and better suited to packaging passengers.
Quote:
|
At FKFS,the half-airship 'halbeluftschiff',Half-streamline body of revolution 'halbestomlinienrotationsk'o'rper',was always the 'Alpha' form from which all the attempts to 'cheat' were done.
|
This would describe my approach.
I'll have more to say later but I'm mocking up a Breer's-style stinger on the '58 Beetle body. It will have a three-piece windshield similar to the old Shalako dune buggy (posted as the VLC conncept) and a boattail that extends the interior space straight back. It's an hexagon at the bulkhead 35" across at the top 43" at the center and 30 " deep, i.e., 39x30=1170sq in. This tapers to a line 16" tall 48" back, but truncated to an 8x16" base plate (768sq in). The front and rear wheels and the diffuser enclosing the engine are To Be Determined. I'm learning that the gutter and door cuts are splayed outward. A nice subtle change would be to pie-section the body vertically so the A- and b-pillars are the same width moving the widest point forward half the width of the door.
I notice it's my thread so I will go off-topic with my own permission:
Here's a screen grab from a few moments ago. I'm seeing a body kit for the Beetle that has front fenders that trade the iconic Beetle crown for a BMW-style shave, a rocker extension that replaces the running board, a panel that mounts on the lower door that swallows the lower door hinge and raises the swage line, and a slot on the inner edge of the fender that exposes the break to the inner fenderwell (opposite to the vent on the Corvette).
Possibly 4 crescent shaped box cavities on the fenders?
Edit: Well, I can't sleep. the whole body kit could be done in PolyMetal as simple curves. With curved scores in the flat sheet and basically a sector bent into a conic section. I made fender flares for a '62 13-window once that way.
The edge in the wheel arch would be wire-wrapped (tests soon) and the edge at the body mounting bolts would be crimped—probably heavily— between the mounting holes.
The rear fenders could start as a scoop at the door opening and terminate in a semicircular arc starting behind the rear wheel openings and canted back at about 30°.
Speed-whiskers off the tops of the front fenders to bury the top door hinges.