autox
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Ground effects and down force

To: Mike Bultemeier <hottvr@tfs.net>
Subject: Re: Ground effects and down force
From: Joshua Hadler <jhadler@rmi.net>
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 16:22:52 -0700
Mike Bultemeier wrote:
> 
> At what speed do ground effect type cars start to make real down force?
> Does anybody have an answer?

I'm going out on a limb here, I'm a rocket scientist, not an
aerodynamics engineer. But I seem to recall that ground effect for an
aircraft is a function of wing area vs. distance from the ground. 

That being true (I hope), then one can probably assume that ground
effect downforce can be achieved at almost any speed given the properly
sized wing/ground-effect area. So for ground effect to work at very low
speed, a very large wing are would be needed. 

Then again, you probably couldn't fit through the cones at that point...

I dunno, hopefully someone with considerable more aerodynamics
experience will speak up and enlighten us all. Oh well...

-Josh2

-- 
Joshua Hadler    '74 914 2.0 CSP/Bi - Hooligan Racing #29 - CONIVOR
                 '87 Quantum Syncro - aka stealth quattro

jhadler@rmi.net
http://rainbow.rmi.net/~jhadler/

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>