Very nice classic car, if you have any very early steering for 1938-1942 Kdfvw It had a mid-engined W6 engine, and four wheel independent suspension using swing axles which Rumpler patented. There is not a chassis really, the body is supported from transverse supports hung from the engine/transmission, torque tube and rear axle. http://blog.goo-net.com/chez2007/img/163/inline_15.jpg. Paul, CC: Thanks for the compliment, but no need to link back to the old series, since I have expanded it and updated it for CC. After he took over as chief design engineer at the Czech firm Tatra in 1921, he developed the basis of a series of remarkable Tatra cars and eventually streamliners with platform frames, independent suspensions and rear air-cooled engines that Ferdinand Porsche cribbed from heavily in his design of the Volkswagen (VW made a substantial payment to Tatra in the 1960s to compensate them for this theft of IP). His early designs tended to be very tall, and with questionable proportions and space utilization (below). It also explains the particularly strong interest and adoption of streamlining in Germany, where these early VW prototypes (VW 30) are shown being tested. You have done again Paul. The Tatra is more attractive than the Porsche. What I always found interesting about aerodynamics is how the mainstream automobile industry forgot about them from ~1950 to ~1980. That air presented the greatest obstacle to automotive speed and economy was understood intuitively, if not scientifically since the dawn of the automobile. All the pictures I have see (the four I linked to) appear to be scans of a newspaper, unfortunately. All in beautiful shape. It probably began with prehistoric man's desire to copy the actions of the bird and fly through the air. The unintended result tended to be a very directionally unstable vehicle. The driver’s position seems to negate the aerodynamic aids, or maybe he was just posing, and more likely crouched down for the actual run. An essentially pragmatic approach, the Airflow also kept the traditional Body On Frame (BOF) front-engine RWD standard, but made some significant advances in terms vehicle design by pushing the engine further forward over the front wheels. Yes, and quite a few others. Dunno why I seem familiar, but I only echo what many people feel but don’t say. In common with many of the cars featured … It was also driven around the US in a publicity stunt to create awareness of automotive aerodynamics, as a prelude to the Chrysler Airflow. Either of these values put the “pillbug” at or near the top of the list of the most aerodynamic concept cars ever built, like the Ford Probe V of 1985, with a Cd of  0.137 (Full list here). Having successfully applied this know-how in racing cars and record-attempt vehicles, Mercedes-Benz gradually transferred it to its series-production models, the 540 K streamlined saloon of 1938 marking one of the milestones in this aerodynamic evolution. Paul, you’re one of my top favorite car guys. Therefore, the designers devote an enormous amount of effort taming the airflow and generating downforce – just as their predecessors did, when this quest first started 35 years ago with the first wings of the Formula 1 cars… The result was a striking Tatra-like car, with great detailing (e.g. There were 3 or 4 Tatras at the annual Rockville show held outside DC in October, in the 1993 show. Putting it into practice was quite another story. It represents a state of aerodynamic efficiency in league with the most aerodynamic prototypes today, such as the Aptera. 3 Aerodynamics History. I have no memory of encountering any reference to it before. The pictures bring it to life, and I appreciate your efforts here (as well as in other fine series I’ve seen here since discovering the site). I was very happy to see a much improved and expanded version with lots of new photos. Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with the study of the motion of air. Your email address will not be published. road car. They virtually built a roll cage and tacked the panels on no wonder crashing it didnt do any damage race cars are built that way now. You missed the most aerodynamic 4 wheeled passenger car ever, the 1938 Schlörwagen “Pillbug”: The Model 3, when tested, clocked a 0.21 drag coefficient. Why did they make these? And the increase in speed was even more dramatic: the Rocket broke the 200km barrier, with a run of 205.44 kmh (127.66  mph). The first pass at animation after the storyboard animatic. But getting there was not without turbulence. It is used in most of the cars today specially in race cars because there is more need of aerodynamics in high speeds cars. It was in 1968 that man first orbited the moon in the Apollo 8 spacecraft and it was also 1968 that saw the first wings fastened onto Formula One cars. . I don’t agree the modern aerodynamic cars are ugly though. The “Dymaxion” name brings to mind a gas analyzer I helped to develop some time ago, by the same name: http://www.ceb.uminho.pt/labs/reequip/MS_58305_64351.jpg And already in 1865, Samual Calthorpe patented an “air-resisting train”, looking remarkably advanced given the times. If only Poland hadn’t treacherously attacked poor defenseless Germany in September 1939…, what about this? We’ve finally arrived at the place where a highly aerodynamic car like the Prius is mainstream. You’re familiar, but I can’t quite place you. Another one you might want to check on as an American example would be the Auburn Boat Tail Speedster of 1929 and the succeeding models through the early thirties. History of Aerodynamics History of Aerodynamics The findings of Page 9/28 That was too much of  a break for the symbolism still engendered in the remnants of the classic car prow. Tesla Model 3 Elon Musk's electric cars are already breaking the mold, but they're also some of the most aerodynamic cars on the road. Boutique cars with Figoni/Falaschi tear drop bodies like Delage, Talbot, and Delahaye are my favorites. That would not be bettered until 1924, and not until 2009 for steam powered vehicles. To demonstrate just how far the aerodynamic envelope was pushed in this golden decade of streamlining, this 1939 Schlörwagen prototype was tested originally at Cd .186, and a model of it was retested by VW in the seventies with a Cd of .15. Air is also considered a fluid in this case. The first of these, the T77, arrived in 1934 (below): The T77 was measured to have a Cd of .212, a number that was not broken by a production car until GM’s EV-1 of 1995, which measured 0.195. Jaray’s patent was very influential, and his designs eventually became more mainstream. Other, more exciting design avenues were pursued. It’s important to remember that Cd is a coefficient, and denotes the relative aerodynamic slipperiness of a body, regardless of its overall size. Although the visual cues are not really as significant as they might appear to us now, because these were the leading-edge design elements of the time, and widely imitated or shared, on both side of the Atlantic. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/NeilBlanchard/Schlor-FrontView.jpg Anyone with about 6 minutes to spare ought to watch this Youtube video which promoted the safety of the Airflow. Another lesser-know variation of the popular Ford V8 engined aerodynamic vehicles was this Dubonnet Ford of 1936, whose very slippery body allowed it to reach 108 mph. Prandtl stated that Dr. Hans Multhopp was his best student. The year was 1899. Anyone? Tatra won. The luftwaffe staff dying of oversteer on the autobahns–Ludwinka’s revenge! Favored especially by Luftwaffe brass, they had a nasty habit of killing them, due to its wickedly-abrupt oversteer, thanks to the combination of rear V8 and swing axles. Hopefully he was kidding. Aerodynamics has played an important role in car racing since the late 1960s, when introduction of One of the first full width pontoon cars. Although the visual cues are not really as significant as they might appear to us now, because these were the leading-edge design elements of the time, and widely imitated or shared, on both side of the Atlantic. The B5 Passat had .28 Cd in 1998, not 1988. If I recall correctly, the late-80’s GM A-bodies (Chevy Celebrity et al) especially the station wagons had remarkably low drag. Glass would shatter. One of the most influential and lasting designers of the whole era was Austrian Hans Ledwinka. By the time they reached the Carolinas, he realized it was a loser, but truly loved the design. I had the kids watch the land speed movie with the guy from coach and do some reading before they started. The Dymaxion also had a rear Ford V8, but with a tricycle carriage and rear wheel steering, which allowed it to turn on the length of its body. Youtube would be a good resource for this…. The lowest Cd production cars at 0.25 include the current Prius, which is a great looking car to my eyes, and this special aero version of the E-Class Mercedes. After all, the energy used to overcome air resistance cannot be recovered – unlike with vehicle acceleration. One of the regulars is a guy who is a native of the town where Tatras were made. The failure of the Airflow probably comes down to one primary aspect: that overly flat waterfall grille. That would not be bettered until 1924, and not until 2009 for steam powered vehicles. Aerodynamics is the science of airflow over airplanes, cars, buildings, and other objects. To demonstrate just how rapidly and far the aerodynamic envelope was pushed in this golden decade of streamlining, this 1939 Schlörwagen prototype was tested originally at Cd 0.186, and a model of it was retested by VW in the seventies yielding a Cd of 0.15. The cars were then given narrower designs again, so the developers began to turn their attentions to small aerodynamic details. An even less pragmatic but remarkably practical and effective American vehicle was the Stout Scarab (above). Later ones than the ones pictured. Neil, Another one-off I’ve always liked, is the humorously named “Venus Bilo”. To arrive at the critical total aerodynamic drag that determines power required (and efficiency), the frontal area (cross section of the vehicle looking straight on) is multiplied by the Cd (Cd x Ft²). but those particular pictures I just found this past week; at a web site with a goldmine of pictures related to aerodynamics, including a picture of the Schlörwagen in the wind tunnel: http://www.dlr.de/100Jahre/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-3305/5154_read-8934/gallery-1/216_read-7/. Tons of Tatras, check! The pictorial of the restoration started with a rusty pile of old car parts. Of all the cars, two stood out. I love the streamlined cars of the 30’s, especially the Tatra. F1 car racing has astounding number of followers in all parts of the world. 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