Rear wing endplates

[Giblet]

I was wondering how big a role do the rear wing endplates play in the overall aero of the car?

I wonder, other than ad space lost, would mandating them to be much smaller have a large effect on downforce and/or wake?

I think the cars would look good with a wing on top of a pillar out back with endplates that can go no lower than the lowest plane of the wing.

[machin]

Racecar engineering magazine had an article where they varied the depth of rear wing endplates. As you sugest the result was effectviely that longer = more efficient (i.e. less drag for the same downforce, or more downforce for the same drag), obviously that's only up to a point. I can't remember specific values though.. maybe somebody's got the article to hand?

With the lower "beam wing" by your rules the end plates would still go down quite low though..... But I guess you mean get rid of the beam wing too?

[Giblet]

I hadn't considered that, I guess by proxy the beam wing would also disappear. Ir could be on it's own as well.

[Just_a_fan]

I'd expect lower downforce and higher drag i.e. the car's L/D would get worse.

The endplates do a number of jobs aerodynamically in terms of improving the efficiency of the main rear wing, controlling the turbulent air from the rear tyres, "linking" the diffuser to the wake behind the rear tyres, "linking" the diffuser to the beam wing etc.

Removing the beam wing would also impact on the diffuser because it would remove a useful "driver" for the diffuser.

[Pieoter]

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/wingendplates.html

This might help

[Richard]

Thanks Pioter

That link infers a linear relationship. I'd have thought there will come a point where the benefit of the end plate fades away, probably based on a ratio of end plate height to wing chord length. (or endplate height to end plate length)