land-speed
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Re: Spoiler/Wing

To: land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Spoiler/Wing
From: Don Kerr <dkveuro@pop.flash.net>
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2000 18:39:27 -0600
...Hallo people, hope you are all doin' OK.
     Just been watchin' video of old land and water speed attempts, lots
of spills!!!.....Question....Is it allowable to use a dynamic wing or
stabilizer on a vehicle of any type or a particular type to try for a
record in any category ? The reason I ask is because the instability
observed during most runs especially on water craft .When I was nuts
enough to run high speed on motorcycles,(200+ mph) the speed wobble on
some bikes was so powerful even a knee(s) against the bars wouldn't hold
it. Dampers only increased the frequency, in the order of from 4 to 10
cycles per second.
     What I had in mind was a computer controlled wing somewhat like the
system used in fighter aircraft,
to allow the pilot to fly an otherwise inherently unstable
aeroplanes.Does anyone foresee a potential problem here? Power to
operate the ram(s) from a small hydraulic pump, accumulator, kinda like
the  Lotus F1 car suspension. Obviously some parasitic power loss or
weight penalty, but nothing comes free. 
Your thoughts?....................DK

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