Aerodynamics help

[Barron11]

I am looking for some aerodynamics pointers for my race buggy.

It is low power (110 BHP) and weighs 340kg but even to my untrained eye I can tell it's not good aerodynamically. If anyone could give me any pointers It would be much appreciated.

The following link is to google images to show what the buggy is. I couldn't figure out how to post a picture.

Thanks in advance.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?client= ... rTIXK8osxg

[NathanE]

If you are racing at relatively low speed on dirt I'm not sure that there's much point doing any aero work. I suspect that the weight disadvantage might outweigh ☺ the aero benefit.

[Barron11]

Thanks for the reply.

Most of the racing we do is on track with small off road sections. Some rounds are 100%track and we often hit 100mph+. I was thinking maybe some parts that I could use when racing the full track circuits.

[Greg Locock]

These guys have power to burn, and are racing on oval dirt tracks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_car_racing

Makes F1 look a bit girly.

I wouldn't go to that extreme, but it's an interesting experiment. I strongly recommend getting this book, as it is cheap, interesting, readable, and has a great list of references. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1963 ... rodynamics

Bear in mind the wing section you use is relatively unimportant given the many imponderables with your setup.

[garygph]

I agree with Greg Locock as I have built and raced the cars he is talking about but please think about a few things. Firstly the sprint/midget cars on dirt are drifting through the corners and not going through the air almost straight as a tar/asphalt car would be and therefore requires a different approach aerodynamically speaking. Those big side panels are not there just because it is convenient for sponsors for eg. Are you racing on dirt or tar? If on both at the same time then ok design accordingly. BUT before you start on all of that please do have another look at the suspension setup as I have watched your form of racing and helped someone very briefly. I convinced him to not copy what everyone else seems to do suspension wise and it worked. It is in my own humble opinion ( and I mean that as I am no suspension wizard like a number of posters here genuinely are) that there is a LOT of low hanging fruit to be had there. Anyway to get good aero performance you need a platform that is not radically changing in pitch all the time . Sound familiar or do you think that I am way off?