'falsies' and drag reduction

[aerohead]

I mentioned this at the '2018 Jeep Wrangler' thread.
It relates to a 1993 invention I had considered for a patent.A 'padded bra',which included a foam insert,sculpted for streamlining,and including ducting as well as Velco'd clear headlight and turn signal covers.
After looking into small entity patenting and manufacturing I abandoned the idea.I didn't have as much courage as bondo and others.
Here's the basic image which would have illustrated the invention concept.

Discarded foam cushions,electric carving knife,contact cement,Velcro,Naughahyde,seam-ripper,an existing low-cost commercially-produced bra (to rob attachment parts),and a gear-drive sewing machine would allow the fabrication.
I'm 'prior art',no one else has patented such a thing,so go ahead and use it if it can help you.

[Xist]

How much of a difference would that have made?

[freebeard]

The patent or the padding?

Some feel that filing a patent and protecting it is less rewarding than moving fast and letting go.

https://www.google.com/search?q=don't+patent

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Xist

How much of a difference would that have made?

The insert architecture would determine the gain.
An 'ideal' insert would allow the drag minimum,exceeding contemporary truck noses,and going right to 1968.
You can run the numbers using R.G.S.Whites formula,comparing his different shapes for an approximation.Use 5 for category (I) under bodies to get your total.

Here's Hucho's noses

A JEEP CJ/Wrangler type vehicle would go from an industry worst nose,to an industry best nose in a minute with only a couple of pounds weight penalty.At least a 14% drag reduction and around 7% mpg HWY.

[Xist]

Curious. I have seen that chart, but we always say the biggest gains are in the back, while 7% just to round the nose seems far better value than 10% for a huge boat tail.

What about a Cviic, though?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Xist

Curious. I have seen that chart, but we always say the biggest gains are in the back, while 7% just to round the nose seems far better value than 10% for a huge boat tail.

What about a Cviic, though?

*The 1975 VW Rabbit/Golf nose was good for almost 7% mpg.So there won't be any current production cars which could see this much benefit,as they've all been optimized already.Excepting the JEEP and HUMMER.
*As to tails,we don't have a large sampling of wind tunnel-tested designs.Without the data,it's hard to predict performance.
*The CIVIC has a nose which Hucho might suggest that mods would only pay diminishing returns.You might compare it to White's recipe noses to get a sense of what you might expect.A 'bulbous' nose has been deemed the ideal form for velocities up to 250-mph.The Schl'o'r pillbug car has such a nose.
This 2006 Fortis-Saxonia uses it