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Date:         Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:26:48 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Some aerodynamic ideas..
In-Reply-To:  <001e01c7d191$e927a0e0$2219e442@dhanson>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

> The Vanagon is exactly wrong for aero-efficiency...Actually, if it were a >perfect square rather than a rectangle, it would be worse, but..

And the Poms call them "wedges"... guess they don't know what the word means.

> 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.

I've seen a Bay with dark-tinted ?plexiglas mounted over the sidewindows... sort of looked like a mid90s Toyota Liteace. The sheets covered the pillars as well. Looked good.

T3s don't have flush windows, but they're less-sunken than a Bay's. No reason a T3 couldn't be so treated, but it would mean drilling holes in the bodywork... and even a minor airleak between body & sheet would probably cause whistling at speed. If I wasn't so chronically short of money (and if my bus was close to being on the road) I'd consider it myself.

>However, the square >front corners of the windscreen probably starts turbulence there right there >that continues for "a mile" behind the van

That's unavoidable with a true van. Ths closest to aerodynamic I can think of in vanlike vehicles is Toyota's midengined "egg" Estima (Previa/Tarago) and possibly the competition, Nissan's cynical Serena. True vans, including the awful space-compromised FWD offerings from Europe, generally have flattish windshields with strong corners at the A-pillars (eg Mercedes/Freightliner/Dodge/VW Sprinter/LT, Ford Transit, Fiat Ducato, Renault & Pugeot competition). I doubt the longer noses of these vehicles give any aerodynamic advantage.

>, 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.

The T3 already has a fairly-well-raked windshield.

> Smooth wheel covers would be an easy improvement..Like those old Moon >hubcaps..

Ugly. And of course bad for brake-cooling. Ever seen a supercar with smooth wheels, much less hubcaps?

>Mirrors that didn't stick way out would help some also.

Again, unavoidable. You need big mirrors for proper rear-vision. Best you can do is fit mirrors with a deeper-dished housing, say Japanese-market Hilux.

> But, given the shape of a van, the job of significantly improving it's >aerodynamic coefficient of drag would be....daunting..

That's vans... the idea of maximized interior space is diametrically-opposed to the ideals for aerodynamics.

As to the rear, perhaps a splitter under the tail & a properly-designed roof-spoiler eg Projektzwo T3 or Mazda's 90s Bongo (also sold as Ford Spectron). Not that either spoiler has been tunnel-tested... though I have considered widening & fitting a Bongo item. -- Andrew Grebneff Dunedin New Zealand Fossil preparator <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut


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