Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 07:38:18 -0400
Reply-To: Lon Bordin <lonbordin@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Lon Bordin <lonbordin@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Some aerodynamic ideas..
In-Reply-To: <001e01c7d191$e927a0e0$2219e442@dhanson>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This leads you to this:
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0604e&L=vanagon&F=&S=&P=2907
which links to this (need yahoo id to see)
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/subaruvanagon/photos/view/912a?b=2&m=
s&o=0
This gentleman made the rear bustle (he used to have a website... but I
cannot find right now:
I had an email conversation with him a while back and he simply said that
the bustle wasn't worth it.
Yahoo! ID:
tucango
Real Name:
Bob Parsons
Location:
Denton, Texas
Age:
63
Marital Status:
Long-term Relationship
Sex:
Male
Occupation:
Design Engineer
Hobbies:
Flying, Wind Turbine Research Internal combustion engine research
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 11:38 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Some aerodynamic ideas..
The Vanagon is exactly wrong for aero-efficiency...Actually, if it were a
perfect square rather than a rectangle, it would be worse, but..
So, some of the things that could be done for better slippery...
A front splitter would be about the easiest thing of all. A splitter is
just a 'shelf', a flat projection off the front, parallel to the ground. In
essense a splitter fools the air into thinking the vehicle is much longer by
stacking up air on the top of the splitter. A splitter would also reduce
the airflow under the van. Since we probably wouldn't be looking for
'downforce', limiting the flow under the van would reduce the turbulence
there somewhat.
Flush windows would be a help also, and do-able. However, the square
front corners of the windscreen probably starts turbulence there right there
that continues for "a mile" behind the van, so back to the "Entry" the
nose...the splitter.. Raking back the front windshield would be rather
effective also, but beyond most of us, what with the doors right there, etc.
Smooth wheel covers would be an easy improvement..Like those old Moon
hubcaps..Mirrors that didn't stick way out would help some also.
But, given the shape of a van, the job of significantly improving it's
aerodynamic coefficient of drag would be....daunting..
Don Hanson
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