Aeromodability of a VW Bug?

[kach22i]

I posted the images mostly to show you the other direction away from the glider trike and Aerotech canopies. Your profile outline tells us nothing about the design, it could have a simple curved or flattish windshield as in the last two examples.

To do a trike VW one wheel in the back, it most likely would be mid-engined. Some sort of belt or chain drive could be fashioned.

VW trikes have been around for a long time, typically one wheel up front though.

Make some decisions gtkid2002, you can always change your mind later. Just start something to kick around. No right or wrong, let it be what it wants to be.

[gtkid2002]

Sounds like something I should have almost had from the start. I'll try and get some solid(er) ideas down and sketch something up. Although I still really like your two sketches. The first one with the prowler style does look awesome too. I'm just trying to factor in things like glass and doors a bit too soon I think. I guess I can work those out later, but having an initial drawn goal is something I should have already.

[Quasimoto]

Here's a front engined VW trike! Not very aero though. The Blackjack ZERO

[123]

If using an aircooled engine could you have less airflow through engine compartment for cooling if using a oil cooler? Us a thermostat so oil only flows through cooler when hot. Aircooled engines use oil instead of water to help cool the engine.


You would get a lot of cooling installing one like this but not the best placement for Aerodynamic purposes.


If you needed more cooling then that use an air scoop to get colder air into the engine or engine compartment. Also a setup like whats used for racing to bypass the muffler for controlling air flow through air scoop. Warmer air from engine compartment for start up and on cold days then cold air from scoop when up to temp and on hot days.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Quasimoto

Here's a front engined VW trike! Not very aero though. The Blackjack ZERO

Morgan style, cool, never thought of a VW engine used like that.

[CFECO]

They "could" have been made quite a bit better aero wise.

[gtkid2002]

So just curious, but would creating a body that is wider but significantly smoother than the original body result in about the same drag? I know the goal would be to have it be narrow and smoother, but the fact that the front wheels turn put a dampener on things. If it would be possible, I think almost narrowing the suspension components and rear axles would be an idea.

I am trying to sketch this up. Still away from my main computer and everything, so I get the joy of doing this longhand. I'll download and install GIMP and play with that for a bit in a few.


But would just making the car skin in the shape of a plane be about the ideal shape? Like this kind of wing (LINK)? Something like that for a top-down view of the car might be a little hard (maybe make little nudges outwards for the rear wheels), but my main worry is just making sure the front wheels are covered properly. Otherwise I really like the idea of trying Kach22's first sketchup.


Also going to sketch up a few with a shorter frame. Keep it just as wide, but shorter. Muuuch shorter.

And no I am not really coherent. Never am, never will be.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by gtkid2002

So just curious, but would creating a body that is wider but significantly smoother than the original body result in about the same drag?

We usually see drag expressed as a coefficient. In order to see its actual effect, the force it puts on something, you have to multiply that coefficient by the cross-sectional area of the shape. Which is why you will often see "CdA" referred to; this is the Coefficient of Drag times the Area.

If you look at that as an equation (Cd * A), you can see that increasing the area and decreasing the coefficient can give you a smaller total. Or a larger total, depending on how much of a decrease to the one and how much of an increase to the other.

-soD

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by gtkid2002

.............. but the fact that the front wheels turn put a dampener on things. If it would be possible, I think almost narrowing the suspension components and rear axles would be an idea.

I think Sven7 (Tyler) covered narrowing a VW already a few pages back. Had a video of one in action, which I said: "Poor Little Car".

For myself this thread has opened me up to looking at the car's body as two pieces, the area below the top of the wheels, and the area above it. Most often we see this expressed as a hood and a trunk, but this is very often non-aero.

A wedged bottom for the wheels, and a teardrop for the canopy seems most practical (think Daytona prototype) if you can reposition your occupants per the upper constraints.

Sketched it out.
Industrial Design pictures by kach22i - Photobucket


EDIT-1: Daytona prototype example.................
Grand Am Daytona Practice


EDIT-2: Ortho drawing views..........
http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.c...ies=k&cid=7936

[CFECO]

Yep!