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Old 07-13-2022, 05:19 PM   #1 (permalink)
OliverSedlacek
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Join Date: Jul 2022
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Lotus 7 style front cycle wing optimisation

Firstly, apologies if this has been covered previously but I'm new here and don't know why may round.
I've got a Caterham 7 and I'm wondering what I can achieve in terms of drag reduction if I make some new front cycle wings. Many seem to try to just go for a minimal wing (to ape the F1 open wheel look), but I suspect that is the worst thing you can do. The questions I'm asking myself are:
1. Where should the front edge of the wing start? Presumably I want to cover most of the front of the tyre.
2. How tight should the clearance be between tyre and wing? A small clearance would reduce frontal area but increase wind shear.
3. What can one do at the rear of the cycle wing? I don't want to have a great long teardrop, not least because steering becomes impossible. Pinning the separation line is presumably 'a good thing'.
4. How far down the tyre sidewall should I go? As far as the rim?

If there are any wind tunnel or CFD studies I'd be interested to read them.

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