Don't know much about streamlining, except that the F-86 Saberjet, on the
early versions, experienced severe buffeting when it approached the speed
of sound. They did extensive wind tunnel work on the wings and tail
feathers, and found nothing. Then, they tested the fuselage, and discovered
that the laminar flow over the fuselage worked fine at sub-sonic speed,
but, close to the speed of sound, became very unstable and tried to fly
sideways both directions at the same time.
The fix came from an engineer that was looking at a coke bottle, and
got the idea that if he pinched in the sides of the fuselage, like Marilyn
Monroe's waist, that the air would change speed until the transition to
supersonic speed was complete. They tried several shapes fore and aft, and
it worked. Shapes are funny things. Today, they have all that empirical
data plugged into computers. They design aircraft now, not people.
There are still "seat of the pants" car builders. A lot of them gather
in the Utah Salt Flats a couple of weeks out of the year to try their ideas
out. Some result in world records, some learn how to make automobiles fly
like a wing. That's how it goes.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
On Fri, May 1, 2020, 5:43 PM 6cuda6--- via Gmclist
wrote:
> Is total shape not calculated into CD and not just frontal area? I'm
> thinking from the motorcycle world were we try to blend race suit back
> design
> into tail/seat fairing design etc.....
>
> > Coefficient of Drag per cm squared. The frontal area of a Corvette is a
> > whole bunch (scientific terminology, vbg.) smaller than a GMC. The drag
> is
> > less, but the area is huge. So, gross drag is huge also.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, Oregon
> >
> > On Fri, May 1, 2020, 4:26 PM Hal StClair via Gmclist <
> >
> > > Actually Johnny, the GMC was better than the Corvette (not really
> better
> > > of course :lol: )but had a lower CD.
> > > Hal
> > > --
> > > 1977 Royale 101348,
> > >
> > > 1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
> > >
> > > 1975 Eleganza II, 101230,
> > >
> > > 1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
> > >
> > > Rio Rancho, NM
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > GMCnet mailing list
> > > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > >
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> >
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
>
> --
> Rich Mondor,
>
> Brockville, ON
>
> 77 Hughes 2600
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>
http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
