This has got me wishing we were in the same room with a white board so we could just work together.
I want to ask some questions. They are challenge questions because that is what we scientists do when we have these discussions. Please do not take any of them the wrong way... I am hoping to learn more about what you are thinking (and what I am missing) and maybe point out some additional ideas for you.
So 1st observation is on the Mig... which is kind of driving your thought I guess. The change in the surface to affect an airflow change to stop/start stuff going into the engines does not necessarly mean that it had a macro affect on airflow characteristics. I am not claiming it didn't... or did... just that the conclusion cannot be drawn. These same aerodynamic changes elsewhere on the Mig, or on a car for that matter, may or may not have produced any measurable change. Again, not claiming did or didn't, just insufficient data.
On the golf ball, agree completely. Most folks don't understand this subltely and many aero primers ignore it completely. But part of why it works is it's velocity, air pressure, size relationships. ie it is fast and small... cars and big and slow... but this said, the whole vortex generator idea must have merit since too many smart people have put them on airplanes (and other "really" smart, or "not so really" smart people have put them on cars.... I just don't know which at this point but do have my suspicions :-).
Now to the meat of your stuff. I like the way you are thinking. I have also been thinking about ways to alter the exterior flow, although my thoughts have gone down the active/dynamic route rather than static, but we are thinking about solving the same problem. Couple of comments, and these are not specific to your stuff, but general to the problem (and thus apply). I'd like your thoughts.
From what I recall of my fluid dynamics education, frictional drag (if we should call it that) of a fluid is not a function of the surface it is passing at all, but rather a function of the fluid viscosity. The reason for this is the fluid, exactly at the surface is not really moving... here is a reasonable link:
(
http://www.answers.com/topic/viscosity
So friction drag is not because the fluid is sliding across the surface, but because the moving surface is grabbing on to the closest layer and causing the fluid to slide across itself. So any change in surface must "alter" aerodynamic flow to have any effect... ie. big enough to introduce turbulent into streamlined flow, or separated into turbulent flow.... but since both of these are bad with the primary effect, one must ensure the gain is comparable elsewhere. Again, back to vortex generators.
>>Conventional wisdom says that the smoother the surface
>>the better the vehicle slips through the air (closing of gaps, removal of >>wipers, etc.).
Agreed, but I think you really mean "smoother the shape".
>>In the same vein, an introduction of a surface with less surface
>>area would produce less wind resistance.
The former does not lead to this conclusion, however, and I can't figure out how the math does either. Intuitively it does make sense I agree... but I don't see how it maps to any of the equations... but I am not expert here so let me know what I am missing. It certainly does seem to me that less sufrace area leads to less fluid friction and thus to less engergy dissipation, but the fluid force equation on a body doesn't take this into account.... ie a long cylinder experiences the same force effect as a short cylinder.
Lasty, to further motivate you and applaud your's (and others) thoughts in these areas.... this is an area of physics that still is not understood.
http://www.physics.teleactivities.ne..._problems.html
Just think about the equations... they all have things like 'coefficient of friction" and other determined constants.... there are no F=MA or E=MC'2 equations, which means we do not have any base understanding of how things work, therefore someone like you or other's may discover something important through tinkering and thinking about this.
OK, so just a mention of what I have been thinking about... simply add an electric fan or two or more with the appropriate shrouding to positively alter the airflow at the bad portions of the flow "AND" provide some base force thrust as well... like put a couple of the HW750 RC jet fans and get up to about 30 lbs of thrust (think how long your glides would be when 30 lbs is shaved off the overall force drag).... AND, AND (this is the part I am wondering about)... the force thrust is produced from air flow that positively alters the external Cd. as well... but I might be hoping for too much.. appreciate your thoughts here cuz a few people think I am nutz :-)
kitcar 
Threaded Mode
