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I streamlined my axle(RHS) with corflute about 300mm wide. Makes it float onto the ground. Am thinking of changing it to a wing profile to take advantage of the airspeed for extra lift. Has anyone tried this? The axle is close to central so lift shouldn't have any adverse effects.It seems a waste not to use it. Ken.
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Ken, what is corflute? The late Fred Hughes tried a wing under the seat, something like 6 ft long with a 2 ft chord. Slightly increased top speed but also caused severe rotor bump at high speed (possible rotor slowing causing increased teeter).Tim McClure
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It's the stuff they make real estate for sale signs out of. I've had mine on for about 90hrs with no adverse effects. Cruise increased slightly. I thought of only a small chord of 300/400mm, but from wheel to wheel. Basically what I've got now but with a little lift. I'll let you know what happens. Ken
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I think JH-S has some very trick looking extruded ally wing profile parts on his latest creation....Art Spink...
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If you just want to reduce the drag on the Bensen type axle and mast there's an oval PVC tube used in Hydroponics which worked pretty well on my old VW. I think if you used hot water or a heat gun it would probably be easy to persuade it into an airfoil shape. However that may not be a good idea as streamline may be more draggy if not perfectly aligned with airflow.John EvansThink logically and do things well, think laterally and do things better.
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Drag reduction is certainly worth persueing. Every kg of drag you eliminate is an extra kg of thrust. The drag on a 50mm round tube is something in the vicinity of 6kg per linear metre. On a 50mm square tube it is even more. Covering that tube with a symetrical airfoil, with no angle of attack, can reduce that drag by as much as 85% to 90%. A 3:1 airfoil would be enough to achieve this.Tim McClure
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