Quote:
Originally Posted by serialk11r
So the trailing radii are useless if you don't have air flowing through the wheel wells? Am I reading this correctly?
And I suppose cars that do have the trailing radii or other vents in the wheel well but also dedicated radiator extractor vents, it is there to handle whatever other flow that does make it to the wheel well?
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I think that the value of the radius is associated with yaw.
Since the wind is blowing most of the time (Cal Tech, Hucho,'n others tell us this) we end up with a crosswind component.
This crosswind is going to hit at least one side of the car.And since the bulbous nose has the least drag in yaw,the radii on the front quarter panels would help maintain attached flow under really adverse crosswind conditions.
Since streamlining is all about preventing or eliminating separation,the radii are an insurance policy.As long as the air is attacking the radius,the radius is in a favorable pressure regime and the boundary layer is protected.
A flared wheel well might trigger separation under yaw.
In the absence of skirts,it's a good way to go and I'm all for them.
A few dozen cars have used them.I believe that Scaglietti introduced them in the 60s on one of his Ferrari designs.
http://www.performancedirect.co.uk/b...esta-rossa.JPG