Every once in a while, Phil (aerohead) spits out some interesting aero factoid in passing in a thread that sends me out into the internets, searching for more info. This is another example of that.
We've all seen
Ernie Roger's New Beetle bug wing:
Ernie calculated it improved his drag coefficient from .38 to .28 and fuel economy by 5-8%, depending on speed.
I forget which thread it was that Phil said something like, "yeah, old news. VW's had aftermarket drag reducing spoilers back in the day" (paraphrasing). (Not diminishing Ernie's efforts, just pointing out that others were trying to "correct" the Beetle shape in the past.)
"Herrod Helper"
From: TheSamba.com :: VW Dictionary and TheSamba.com :: View topic - Herrod Helper
Apparently, it was originally sold through JC Whitney, and mail order, and for $12.95, promised:
- better mpg
- greater top speed
- reduced noise
- better handling
- "releases that 300 foot column of vacuum you are now towing around"
- a "racy look"
The only thing I couldn't figure out was why they called it "Herrod Helper".