Aerodynamics in off road racing

[FlyHiFlyLo]

That is not a wing... it is a spoiler.

Wing - down force or lift... both would add drag IMO.

Spoiler - diffuses air flow like in Fly's diagram.

It's a wing beotch...! LMAO!

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[FlyHiFlyLo]

Fly can you make one of those wit a tt style body and compensate for the lack of a windshield? Im on a mac and am guessing that software is PC stuff. I also am going to the bar in a little bit...so....

Since it's a 2d program you do slices of the truck.... Basically you would slice the truck down the middle and depict the roof as a WING!

[michael_loomis]

You be trippin... its a spoiler/rear diffuser... doing the same thing as those bubbles you see on the back of semi trailers. Stopping the air from turbulently "foiling" (for lack of a better term) in the rear...

Now re draw your "wing" with the arc like the Iroc Maiden has, and attach it two feet up, and see the it isn't diffusing anything, and the down force applied is making drag. (not much... but its there)

[michael_loomis]

While your at it... you should prob make a lower diffuser for the Maiden... it will prob give you the MPG back you lost with that carb! lol

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Here is what a Truck would look like if you sliced it between the driver seat and trans tunnel. I think there is definatly some Schmaerodynamics in off road racing for sure.

[MARXICO]

Fly thanks for sharing some actual examples on an overlooked detail, what are the differences between the green and red?
What are the possible improvements that can be made on your truck diagram ?
Would you want to make the roof like a wing for down force to make the car stick to the ground or would that work against yourself going over areas you are trying to stay on top of like a whoop section ?
Is it necessary to try and clean up the turbulent air in the rear?
How would you do that ?

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Fly thanks for sharing some actual examples on an overlooked detail, what are the differences between the green and red?
What are the possible improvements that can be made on your truck diagram ?
Would you want to make the roof like a wing for down force to make the car stick to the ground or would that work against yourself going over areas you are trying to stay on top of like a whoop section ?
Is it necessary to try and clean up the turbulent air in the rear?
How would you do that ?

In a tt you want the downforce/lift to be even. What you want to do with any surface is use it as a control surface to clean airflow. There is about ten things you can do to the flow in this example to massively reduce turbulence. The red is pressure and the green is vacuum.

[dirtdudeaz]

This and the last one made me laugh. I didn't want to be the first to call the guy out...

Here is what a Truck would look like if you sliced it between the driver seat and trans tunnel. I think there is definatly some Schmaerodynamics in off road racing for sure.

Just curious, (I can't tell) did you take into accound the driver/passenger, the radiators?

In a tt you want the downforce/lift to be even. What you want to do with any surface is use it as a control surface to clean airflow. There is about ten things you can do to the flow in this example to massively reduce turbulence. The red is pressure and the green is vacuum.

I agree 100%! The less boxey/sharp the lines on the truck are and the less areas for the air to run into without flowing past, the better the vehicles will slip through the air. You could even design a system to understand where the vehicle is in relation to the ground and the speed, and for unexpected jolts/jumps/etc..you could throw out control surfaces to correct the vehcile trajectory. This may also take a lot of the loads off the suspension.

[Zambo]

Just curious, (I can't tell) did you take into accound the driver/passenger,

And if so, was the co-dog's mouth shut or in full on, wide open flap mode?

[Old School 8]

I'm thinking the new "super 8 class", (using a sealed stock motor), could use all the areo it can get !