ChexOrWrex
Ya gotta wanna
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Petty’s 1971 Superbird in the windtunnel
- Thread starter ChexOrWrex
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LewTheShoe
Seeking Skill-based Meritocracy... More HP Less DF
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Very cool. Per the article, it's actually a modern construction based on a 1971 concept that existed as a 3/8 scale model... so a hodge-podge at best. The wing certainly works to produce downforce. The pronounced Bernoulli effect is clearly evident after 3:00 minutes and again after 4:40.
The science of automobile aerodynamics was in its infancy in 1971. Drag reduction advanced rapidly; downforce came more slowly. To my untrained eye, this full scale model looks pretty slick in terms of drag... and I'd guess not much downforce except for the wing. But any of today's top Nascar teams could change that in a hurry given a day or two at WindShear, LOL.
The science of automobile aerodynamics was in its infancy in 1971. Drag reduction advanced rapidly; downforce came more slowly. To my untrained eye, this full scale model looks pretty slick in terms of drag... and I'd guess not much downforce except for the wing. But any of today's top Nascar teams could change that in a hurry given a day or two at WindShear, LOL.
Zerkfitting
Team Owner
I don't recall seeing two wings on the race cars. Production cars had a single wing.
That double wing never raced, or graced the street. But it does show what more could be achieved.
For the bottom horizontal bar to be effective it can't be too far below the car's roof line, or else it doesn't get much straight flow or even flow at all.
For the bottom horizontal bar to be effective it can't be too far below the car's roof line, or else it doesn't get much straight flow or even flow at all.