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Old 07-19-2008, 02:10 PM   #97 (permalink)
basjoos
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wyatt View Post
Another method (which I have been thinking about) would be to use baby powder (or equivalent) and pat it down on the surfaces you want to check. Then drive at the speeds you want to check and Presto!, if it gets cleaned off, laminar flow! So if you live on a dirt road and your car stays nice and clean, chances are, you have good laminar flow the entire way.
You would be surprised at how thick a boundary layer actually is. I've sprinkled Florida beach sand on the top of my car and driven down the road. It would still be there when I got to my destination, unless I drove through rain. The road dust doesn't stick to my car while I driving down the dirt road, but if I parked my car beside the dirt road and let it sit there while passing traffic stirred up and settled dust on it, then that dust would stay put when I went to drive my car again.
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