To Perforate or Not To Perforate

[DonR]

Just use thinner sheet & have it bead rolled to increase the stiffness. You can roll an overlapping lip onto the piece in the rear so the seams don't catch air either.

Don

[gone-ot]

...just remember, holes let air "in" and strength "out."

[lunarhighway]

a little tip to reinforce thin sheet is to fold the edges up creating a lip that's 1 or 2 cm high, where the thin sheet itsef is can be quite floppy it's amasing how much stiffer the structure gets when you fold all 4 edges and they cant flex anymore.

easy cheap and saves weight

[justjohn]

Originally Posted by lunarhighway

a little tip to reinforce thin sheet is to fold the edges up creating a lip that's 1 or 2 cm high, where the thin sheet itsef is can be quite floppy it's amasing how much stiffer the structure gets when you fold all 4 edges and they cant flex anymore.

easy cheap and saves weight

Good call.

[aerohead]

I have nothing on perforated bellys except a recent article from CAR and DRIVER on a Ferrari racer with dual electric-fan suctioned diffuser operated up to 150 mph,and disenabled above that speed.
Millions were spent on this cars development.One might presume that when Ferrari puts its prestige on the line that they've looked down every avenue for performance.A fully perforated bellypan was not on their menu.