Quote:
Originally Posted by MeteorGray
QUOTE: "...With its low drag, the Schlörwagen reacted very heavy to side winds. This made it difficult or even dangerous to control the vehicle...."
I found this quote interesting. It implies a car having "low drag" will have a bad reaction to heavy side winds, and makes it "difficult or even dangerous to control the vehicle."
Why would "low drag" characteristics bring such difficulties in side winds?
The implication seems to be that a non-aerodynamic high drag shape handles side winds better than an aerodynamic low drag shape.
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An unstreamlined shape creates a lot of turbulence, so as a wing, it is "stalled" and unable to lift properly. With smooth flow all around, you can get a high pressure differential. One solution is to make the front corners rather abrupt, so that the flow can only stay attached in moderate side winds.