Aerodynamics in Olden France....incredible

[Frederick]

Hi there Peoploids,
I just found this page on "Le Petit Fumiste Illustré" this could be translated by : "The illustrated Dreamer weekly".

The whole site is litteraly inundated by ideas of aerodynamy.....Enjoy.

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/automobi...12_coadou.html

[elhigh]

Interesting - to maintain structural integrity, the body is one piece and the top could either slide or flip. They incorporated the fuel tank into the rear wing, while a low-pressure zone at the front wing was pulling out exhaust...at least, I think I read that right.

It also stated that at high speed, the wings would cause an air cushion effect. Scary. As if those old cars didn't have enough trouble holding the road, let's reduce contact with the road!

[Frederick]

I'm sorry to differ Elhigh, France was the most advanced nation in the production of cars. Those were not of the Model A category.
Gabriel Voisin's, Bugatti's Delahayes, all aerodynamic to some degree, had exceptionnal road handling capabilities.
In 1927, my Reo Wolverine had a top speed of 35 miles an hour, any of the cars I just mentionned had the possibility of doing 120 miles an hour. With the suspension and road hugging to match.
European cars evolved by engineering. With all due respect, early American cars evolved from the buggies. Small modifications were made to become motorised vehicles. Later, with the realisation that Europe was so far ahead, manufacturers developped each componant to work with each other. Not singularly.
But....there were exceptions: In the beginning brakes could not handle the speed that the motor offered. Bugatti said, when criticised: I make my cars to run, not to stop! The suspension of Bentley was so bad that in an early race they were said to be the fastest truck there! Still, those early cars were thought out as an ensemble not as an assemblage of different componants.
As for the cushion effect, it was just a sales pitch to offer greater comfort on bad roads or simply the cobblestone streets that were everywhere.

[cfg83]

Frederick -

I wasted some net time doing a (crummy) Babelfish translation, but then I found the English version of the URL (the little British flag top-center) :

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/automobi...12_coadou.html

CarloSW2

[Frederick]

Happens to all of us. It did to me. Quite nice that it's translated isn't it ? There are some wonderful things there, what impressed me the most though is that many incorporate aerodynamics in their quest to fame. Perhaps the full tilt developement of the new fangled airplane influenced them.