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JulianEdgar · 03-22-2021, 01:35 AM

The book is progressing. Professor Jeff Howell, particularly, has been brilliant in critiquing my mistakes and also providing new information.

The 1960s Donald Campbell Land Speed Record Car (Bluebird) section is currently undergoing its third re-write, as Professor Howell (a) corrects my mistakes, and (b) provides new information. Incredibly, he has given me a copy of the original wind tunnel tests of the Bluebird models, conducted at the Imperial College (London, UK) wind tunnel. The graphs in the report are drawn in pencil on graph paper! I think that my book will be the first with detailed aero info on this car. I was lucky enough to see Bluebird in the UK a few years ago and it remains my favourite LSR car.

Dr Thomas Wolf of Porsche has also become intrigued by the Type 64 Porsche (the pre WWII car designed for the 1939 Berlin–Rome long-distance race that was cancelled because of WWII). He has been investigating historic resources inside Porsche and doing lots of calculations of the car's likely drag coefficient.

MIRA (the UK's Motor Industry Research Association) is providing me with info on their 1960 full size wind tunnel - Jeff Howell said that if I was going to cover the FKFS and VW tunnels, I had to cover the MIRA one!

In the US, GM has given me permission to use a lot of tech info on their 2019 Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 (but unfortunately, no coefficients of drag or lift), and Rob Palin (ex Tesla) has added a lot of great personal commentary to my coverage of the development of the Tesla Model S.

Porsche has also given me permission to use detailed info on the Taycan, and has provided high-res pics.

There are a few other cars I am hoping to get detailed aero info on (but as soon as I say that I preferably want Cd, CLf and CLr figures, a lot of manufacturers go quiet) but some signs look encouraging.

And from EM, Vman455 has been proof-reading (he's very good - I think he could get a job as a proof-reader/editor), and I have used the Ford Sierra patent that Aerohead linked to explain how the bi-plane Fiord rear wing works.

03-22-2021, 01:35 AM	#18 (permalink)
JulianEdgar Banned Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Australia Posts: 2,060 Thanks: 107 Thanked 1,605 Times in 1,136 Posts	The book is progressing. Professor Jeff Howell, particularly, has been brilliant in critiquing my mistakes and also providing new information. The 1960s Donald Campbell Land Speed Record Car (Bluebird) section is currently undergoing its third re-write, as Professor Howell (a) corrects my mistakes, and (b) provides new information. Incredibly, he has given me a copy of the original wind tunnel tests of the Bluebird models, conducted at the Imperial College (London, UK) wind tunnel. The graphs in the report are drawn in pencil on graph paper! I think that my book will be the first with detailed aero info on this car. I was lucky enough to see Bluebird in the UK a few years ago and it remains my favourite LSR car. Dr Thomas Wolf of Porsche has also become intrigued by the Type 64 Porsche (the pre WWII car designed for the 1939 Berlin–Rome long-distance race that was cancelled because of WWII). He has been investigating historic resources inside Porsche and doing lots of calculations of the car's likely drag coefficient. MIRA (the UK's Motor Industry Research Association) is providing me with info on their 1960 full size wind tunnel - Jeff Howell said that if I was going to cover the FKFS and VW tunnels, I had to cover the MIRA one! In the US, GM has given me permission to use a lot of tech info on their 2019 Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 (but unfortunately, no coefficients of drag or lift), and Rob Palin (ex Tesla) has added a lot of great personal commentary to my coverage of the development of the Tesla Model S. Porsche has also given me permission to use detailed info on the Taycan, and has provided high-res pics. There are a few other cars I am hoping to get detailed aero info on (but as soon as I say that I preferably want Cd, CLf and CLr figures, a lot of manufacturers go quiet) but some signs look encouraging. And from EM, Vman455 has been proof-reading (he's very good - I think he could get a job as a proof-reader/editor), and I have used the Ford Sierra patent that Aerohead linked to explain how the bi-plane Fiord rear wing works.