Corvair Aerodynamics Page |
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The Corvair design is fairly unique with the engine located in the rear of the car. This results in some untraditional vehicle aerodynamic characteristics. The GNRT conducted an experiment to study the aerodynamics of the Corvair. These experiments involved both an Early Model and Late Model coupes. The purpose of these experiments was to study and document the airflow over the test vehicles. This was accomplished by placing many short strands of yarn (tufts) on the vehicle and operating the vehicle on a two lane road while photographing the test vehicle from a chase vehicle. |
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The tufts indicate the direction and stability of the airflow. Direction is fairly obvious as the tufts will align in the direction of the local airflow. The tufts will remain steady in stable airflow, while the tufts will move, sometimes violently, in unstable, turbulent airflow. The links below will show some of the photos for the vehicles tested. |