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Re: What I learned /Wicker bills

To: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
Subject: Re: What I learned /Wicker bills
From: "Thomas E. Bryant" <saltracer@awwwsome.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 14:21:49 -0700
Keith,

When things are working well, it is great fun, isn't it? Jim's comment 
about aerodynamic load or unload does have merit, I believe. Of course 
this is only in play as long as the car is proceeding straight down the 
track. Once the car gets out of shape, you are back to the 60% rear 
bias, which means that end will lead. I have a similar situation with my 
car. While moving down the course as planned, the front end is getting a 
pretty heavy aerodynamic load which helps it to go straight, I think. We 
have not had any handling problems since we removed the front ballast, 
but I don't want to get crossed up to test it.

Congratulations again on your 2 Club Membership. It is going to be 
difficult for either of us to top Speedweek 2003.

Tom, Redding Ca - #216 D/GCC

Keith Turk wrote:

> it's also known as a gurney strip.... just a piece of metal set
> perpendicular to an airfoil to spoil lift created by the airfoil... in this
> case a spoiler that's intended to provide negative lift or downforce...
> 
> The concern I had was that we had decided to accept the car " As Ran "
> rather then make the changes to the Ballast and so on.... in other words...
> let it prove it needs a change prior to making it... and Dave did just
> that... we ran 215 with about 3.5" sticking up off the top of the
> spoiler.( the strips were in two sections so we only removed one the first
> pass and then after we set the record at 234 we removed the second one )...
> it was Dave's opinion that the Wicker bills were causing unwanted drag on
> the back of the car...  he was right and I knew that.... my preference was
> to run the car with them again because it was so dang hooked up I felt the
> next pass was going to be over the record anyway....  I went through quite
> of bit of thought to come up with my answer of letting Dave do what he knows
> will work and simply making it happen.... if the car lost it's handling we
> could always put them back on....   Needless to say it worked perfectly and
> the car was only marginally loose...  and the funny thing is that the course
> was loose not the car.... on the last run the car was flawless at over
> 249mph.... Can't wait till next year..
> 
> K.

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