The Forward Look- more than just fins/Exner SAE Paper

["Don Nonnweiler" <dnonnwei@xxxxxxxxx>]

The wings are the Superbirds were for racing and not styling themes as they
made 2000 of them so they would be considered  production cars and were able
to race under the rules of nascar
Don
----- Original Message -----
From: <dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: IML: The Forward Look- more than just fins/Exner SAE Paper


> Quoting Don Nonnweiler <dnonnwei@xxxxxxxxx>:
>
> > and we all remember the wings of the superbird and daytona.  But the
> > main
> > reason Exner used wind tunnels was because in those days Chrysler
> > backed
> > there racing teams alot
> > Don
> > 59 Crown
> > 55 St regis
>
> The wings on the Superbird have nothing to do with the fins of the fifties
cars
> that were merely styling themes.  Actually, during the mid sixties
Chrysler was
> doing some really good work with vehicle aerodynamics, much of it was
published
> in SAE and some of it actually may have reached the SAE transactions (only
the
> best papers get there).  This work was mainly about the development of the
> Dodge Charger body and the aerodynamic aids (front spoiler mainly to
reduce
> lift from the front and the rear spoiler to also reduce rear lift at the
> expense of some drag, and later the nose job for the Daytona).  This work
> allowed significant aerodynamic improvements, but unlike the fifites fins,
also
> created real ugly bodies (although, this term is certainly relevant).  As
far
> as I know, this was the first time Chrysler did any serious aerodynamic
> work.
> D^2
>
>