Date:         Tue, 23 Mar 2004 19:48:41 EST
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re:       Re: Vanagon Drag Co
              efficient?
Comments: To: wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 3/23/04 4:18:24 PM, wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET writes:


> Before the golf ball dimple technology works you need a full belly pan and
> enough horsepower to make the project worthwhile.
> For a good working example just lay down and look under a Porsche of any
> year.
>
> Stan Wilder
>

Stan,

This is a good point and I have considered 0.0625 inch thick Al sheet for
such a purpose, but never quite had the time to do it.

More effective, though, would be a pressure deformable inflatable truncated
hemispherical surface mounted to the rear of the Vanagon. By controlling the
inflation pressure, at a constant velocity, while optimizing manifold vacuum,
one should be able to reduce drag by 20% or more. If you then fixed the shape
and made a mold, one could market a baggage extension which also reduce drag.
Does require moving outside the original vehicle envelope!

Frank Grunthaner