quote:Originally posted by mike the snake:
Which do you think is actually more effective at, say, 100-140mph, a Countach style wing, or a ducktaail wing like I've seen on some race car vids?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EXQPlPgYxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUjehWztZTE
I quite like the look of the ducktail wings/spoilers. More easily fabricated, I'm thinking of adding one to my car, along with some side window air scoops, 5" tall velacity stacks, painting/wrapping th front decklid flat black, give the car a different, motre personal look. Plus, I plan to do track days, but I won't be going over 120-130 at the fastest.
I'm pretty sure that on a race car the wing would be too much in the way to deal with considering the the deck usually needs to come off to work on the engine.
I don't think the location of the ducktail and the size of it are arbitrary?
They both provide down force but in doing so create some drag.
The results probably are similar but if I was seriously going racing the ducktail is probably what would happen.
Both the Ford GT40 and the Cobra "Daytonna" Coupes used the ducktail.
In those days the race team would just take a pair of "tin snips" and trim some of the tail down if the driver thought there was too much downforce.
I can't recall the Detomaso Gp4 cars with a spoiler anywhere on the car but it is not unfair to say now that the car could have used more race development?
What I do know about the Pantera aerodynamics is that the nose gets light at speeds somewhere about 150mph. That's where the little GTS chin spoiler was required.
Spoilers in the rear extert downforce in the rear for extra traction.
Downforce numbers that I have seen on many rear spoilers put that number in the 50 to 70 pound vicinity.
I do not know what additional drag they caused?
I do remember a magazine article about the Countach with the wing, the Lamborghini test driver said that the wing held back the top speed of the car.
As I recall it was something like 203 mph without the wing and 198 with the wing.