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Old 12-04-2016, 08:58 AM   #58 (permalink)
Tugger
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This is both remarkable and rather old hat - but the photo is good.

Aerodynamics - aerodyschmamics...

The Bugattie Veyron, Meh - a high priced set of wheels, and racing cars, have been using the same old stream lining and wind tunnel tested designs that were used on stream liner trains, cars, aircraft when power and range and fuel consumption - and loads = running costs; were beginning to take real priority over cheapness of construction.

And as Zepplins, stressed metal skin monoplanes, racing cars and motorcycles, and similar all got going, especially after WW1, all the basic principles of a LOW coefficient of drag, were established, and well many things have improved, but air had the principles of friction, and drag have remained constant.

So the Bugattie, or more so the photo of it, shows off the blended curves, tapers and it is a more or less very low COD shaped box trailer.

Take away the passenger compartment details like a windscreen, and cooling ducts etc., and you have a nuclear submarine hull shape, made into a shoe box profile.

When you look at the Douglas DC-3 - a pre WW2 aircraft design, well all the parameters still stand, and yet while the formula 1 racing cars, did, for a while, look like supersonic jet fighters, yet they were no faster than the DC-3.

i.e. - there were a lot of stupid designers around.

So the nice rounded nose, the middle bit, and the tapered rear...

It all still stands.

The fastest cars in history: 1946 to now
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