Do Wings work?

[fake ben taylor]

We could get some load thongies Tim and attach tobsuspension and measure with and without downforce? Would help us with setup too to balance it all

[Stutopia]

Ill do a test the year.. Ill run my car with Vbox lap timer at a circuit like blyton park then remove wing and splitter/bumper and go again?!>!

 

For a non-biased test though, you'd have to not know if the aero was attached or not on each run.

[GrahameJ]

As the spoiler is attached to the boot on the Zed I should be possible to measure any downforce created with say a rod attached to the underside of the boot pressing down on weight scales on the boot floor. Ideally with a remote display screen attached on the dash, but if you use your imagination the same effect could be achieved by a small volunteer in the boot with a suitable stick and some bathroom scales, and who could then shout out the readings!

Anybody got a small girlfriend?

Measuring the drag effect may prove more difficult, but if you have more downforce together with slower lap times then the drag is too much.

Scales up to 80kg £26 Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGITAL-POSTAL-SHIPPING-WEIGHT-POSTAGE/dp/B015CPBC7M/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1457478561&sr=1-1&keywords=remote+electronic+kg+weight+scales

Edited March 9, 2016 by GrahameJ

[Kieran O'Quick]

A friend and I built a wing that would do a DRS type thing on the straight and flip to an air brake when the brake pedal was pushed. We fitted it to our trackday car.

 

The internet totally slated it. Apparently we were idiots because it wasn't tested in a wind tunnel.

[Jetpilot]

http://www.jdmautolink.net/2011/08/arc-down-force-meter.html

 

Or just buy one of these:

[andlid]

A friend and I built a wing that would do a DRS type thing on the straight and flip to an air brake when the brake pedal was pushed. We fitted it to our trackday car.

 

The internet totally slated it. Apparently we were idiots because it wasn't tested in a wind tunnel.

that works though, not always allowed to have an active wing. Seen it in action, looks awesome.

[saint]

Sorry for the late reply, but I'll put this one to bed!

 

Most cars produce high rear lift. A spoiler can and often does reduce rear lift, either directly on the spoilers blade, or via upstream effects:

 

Direct: a wing shaped cross section can generate low velocity at its tip followed by high flow acceleration on its lower edge, reducing static pressure and proving a downwards force. The same can apply inversely to the upper surface.

 

Indirect: the spoiler blocks the flows path and causes stagnation. This increases static pressure on the surfaces ahead of the spoiler- the boot lid and rear glass. Higher static pressure here pushes the rear downwards. This is the most likely gain from these aftermarket parts, the wing cross sections are usually shite from tuner parts!!

 

In terms of drag, it's hard to say the effect, the balance of upwards and downwash behind the car affect the way pressure is recovered behind it and can lead to large or smaller wakes

 

Source: I'm an actual aerodynamicist for Bentley motors

[ATTAK Z]

Try driving a T-top at 60 mph with the catches open ... you'll soon realise that increasing the speed of the air over the car causes lift

 

then,

 

to confirm the results of that test, try holding a spoon vertically under a running tap with the water flowing over the convex side of the spoon and note the force pulling the spoon into the flow of water

 

then,

 

when you've done all that, post your conclusions on here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but please please please,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

check your spelling and grammar before you do