Great point Jim - I too thought about ground effects after following F1 and
Indy cars. Reading, observation and conversation with much more experienced
racers have since convinced me that it doesn't work for our deal. I try to
remain open to innovation in our sport but, sometimes what is working is all
that will work. Is this also why the Russian space shuttle looks like our
space shuttle? - the design is the one that works.
Dan (I knew this would start something) Warner
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Dincau <jdincau@qnet.com>
To: Dan Warner <dwarner@electrorent.com>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: Flying Streamliners
> Hi Dan;
> Here is my input. In 1990 I talked my partners Ken Logan and Jerry
> Jones into trying ground effects for traction instead of lead. We took
all
> the lead out (about 800 lbs. I think) and I built skirts for the sides.
With
> the slope on the underside of the car and tapering up from 36 in wide at
the
> firewall to 40 inches wide at the back end the aero guys at Lockheed
> thought the resulting diffuser would produce about 1200 pounds of
downforce.
> First run Jerry hits a wet spot at about 220 an it swaps ends so fast he
> can't catch it. The car went around 5 times, it turns out that the ground
> effects worked just great till the car got a little sideways and the
airflow
> through the tunnel stalled.
> Wings and tunnels add traction with a drag penalty and that penalty
> increases with the square of the speed. Lead adds traction with an
> acceleration penalty but it is constant and doesn't go away when the
airflow
> is less than ideal. If I were building a streamliner it would be front
> engined, front wheel drive to get the maximum weight on the drive wheels.
> Aero managed downforce is neat if you have to turn and accelerate at the
> same time, we don't.
>
> Jim in Palmdale, who's rocket scientist reputation was enhanced by the
above
> incident.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dan Warner <dwarner@electrorent.com>
> To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 10:33 AM
> Subject: Flying Streamliners
>
>
> > Interesting conversation concerning streamliners. Ken Walky stated that
> > there had never been a ground effects streamliner that did not fly.
> > Accumulated wisdom could not refute Ken's theory.
> >
> > We had to define ground effects as a lifting surface on top of the car
> > and/or tunnels or some such device under the car(non-flat bottom).
> >
> > Any comments?
> >
> > Dan (looking for air) Warner
> >
>
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