Thread: aero cap idea.
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Old 02-09-2009, 09:56 AM   #5 (permalink)
MechEngVT
Mechanical Engineer
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Richmond, VA
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The Truck - '02 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Sport
90 day: 13.32 mpg (US)

The Van 2 - '06 Honda Odyssey EX
90 day: 20.56 mpg (US)

GoKart - '14 Hyundai Elantra GT base 6MT
90 day: 29.79 mpg (US)

Godzilla - '21 Ford F350 XL
90 day: 8.69 mpg (US)
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You could reduce your wake area a bit by progressively increasing the "tumblehome" toward the rear of the cap. Tumblehome is the angle which the side of the vehicle above the beltline departs from vertical. If you look at the rear of the new Fit the C/D pillars slant inwards more than the A/B pillars do. Keeping the progression of this increase subtle will reduce wake area, but too radical a shift will separate the flow from the sides of the cap.

A straight vertical cutoff at the rear plane would be better as shown on the A2 picture. This might permit a slight lowering of the vertical split height, reducing wake area, without increasing the downward slant at the rear enough to cause flow separation.
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