Vortex Generators / Hmmm Airtabs

[cfg83]

FormulaTwo -

Originally Posted by FormulaTwo

Alright well, here we go.....


I decided to reinstall them using 3m tape, like what is used on vent visors etc...
We have plenty of this at my work for me to play around with.

I tried it out on one just to see how high the airtab would actually sit with the 3m tape under it. It did not exactly sit flush, but definitely a good strong hold.

I took electrical tape and taped off the front edges, and part of the sides. This should smooth out airflow onto the airtab, and maybe hold the tab a little better.

So far so good, it looks a little awkward only having 3 tabs installed right in the middle of the rear of the car.

To be installed correctly I will actually need 4 more.
They say to install them 4" from center to center. No more than 10 inches from the rear of the vehicle.


Honestly I do not feel must difference in the car on the highway. I know there have been reports of increased stability etc... Then again there are only 3 up there, which probably wouldn't do too much if these things worked anyway.

I am guessing that you need to start from a crummy aerodynamic place to begin with, like a Semi, in order to feel improvement. Also, the Semi's in the pictures are *covered* with them at the end. The one picture of the Honda CRV might be what you should look to accomplish.

I wonder if you can do a before/after coast test. It will be hard to keep things equal unless you have a "perfect road" to work with. Test must be done with same prevailing wind/temp/humidity conditions.

I may tape some tufts all over the rear of the car this weekend, so I can get an idea of what the air is doing back there.
I will need someone to help with this, maybe video tape- take pictures...


from what i read.....

# Tufts that move around chaotically are a sign of drag.
# Tufts that move in the direction opposite to the airflow are a sign of high drag.
# Tufts that stay in line with the airflow are a sign of lower drag.

anything else to look for?
I will def post pics when i get them

Too bad none of you FE guys are from around here.
Could start up our own backyard FE skunkworks.

I would really appreciate seeing your "Tuft Setup" in order to see how to set that up.

CarloSW2