A quick "Hello" from me. I've been looking at the site for a while and thought it would be good to join for some help and to help others in return.
I live in the UK, just south of London.
I have a background that helps. I studied engineering at university, doing lots of aeronautical stuff, was an engineer in the RAF when I did a lot of [mainly high speed] aerodynamics at Masters level and have been tinkering with cars for years. I'm now a semi-retired number cruncher for an insurance company.
I have 3 major projects in mind:
My main project is a Mazda RX8 that has been fitted with a 13B REW engine from a Mazda RX7 FD generating about 400 rwhp (say 475 at the flywheel) with a single large turbocharger (the FD had twin sequential turbochargers but technology has moved on and a single modern turbo gives better results). To cut a long story short, I have to design and build the cooling systems (charge air, oil, engine and turbocharger) to replace the cr@p ones a professional engine builder put in. I want to do this as efficiently as possible and optimize the car's aerodynamics for reduced drag and increased downforce.
Improve my main car, a Mazda RX8 R3, for better fuel consumption and occasional track days.
Improve the mpg on my winter and 5-seater car, a 2001 (6th Gen) Honda Accord Type V with a thirsty 125 bhp 2.3 litre engine.
I've designed and fitted a brake cooling system for my RX8s and hope to test my 2 alternatives next week. I'll be posting a thread on this as I think my thoughts on the aerodynamics will be useful.
I look forward to contributing to discussions here.
Ian