Quote:
Originally Posted by mwebb
now
explain to me how this helps me
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(1) It gives some information that generically is likely to hold true for the different basic car shapes. For example:
- Fastback shapes have highest lift; squareback shapes have lowest
- Fastback shapes are likely to have lowest drag; squareback shapes highest drag
This information supports the point that low drag cars often have a lot of lift - unless very careful treatment is made under the car or the use is made of a rear spoiler.
(2) It gives some pressure patterns that show clearly what is happening, especially on the back half of different shape cars. For example:
- there is relatively little pressure increase across the roof of a squareback
- fastback shapes have low roof pressures and an upper body pressure increase that occurs mostly towards the very end of the car
- notchback shapes have low roof pressures and can develop higher pressures across the upper rear surfaces of the car (ie trunk) than fastback shapes.
These pressure patterns therefore give a good indication, for example, of what a rear spoiler will do on each of these shapes.
(3) It gives information about the different wake patterns found on the different shape cars. For example:
- fastbacks / sedans have quite different wake patterns to wagons
- the wake pattern of each car varies substantially laterally ie what is happening behind the centreline is not what is happening closer to the edges of the car
This information supports, for example, that some underfloor treatments (eg rear diffusers) may have very different impacts on the wakes of the different shape cars.
I absolutely agree that individual modifications on individual cars should always be tested!