Found an article in the NY Times from the tail end of last year: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/automobiles/21AERO.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=aerodynamics&st=cse I couldn't help but think back to January of 2009 as the Gen III's rolled off the production line towards the Detroit auto show, and Prius Connection Detroit. Isn't it funny how the others were discovering for the first time, what the Prius Production model was putting into production? .
"Usually, aerodynamic shapes are rounded forms that slip through the air. But the wind tunnel is proving that counterintuitive, edgy shapes can reduce the drag coefficient and save fuel or battery power." Interesting quote from the referenced article. I remember the F117 Stealth Fighter. That has got to be the ultimate in "edgy design". It worked great from a radar stealth perspective, but was a nightmare from an aerodynamic perspective (and not very efficient). If "edgy" were better, then more aircraft would be designed that way. Frankly, I don't believe everything I read. Keith
The 117 was designed the way it was because it was being designed from the "smallest radar signature possible" POV, and the computers doing the modeling couldn't handle curved surfaces. So they got it as aerodynamic as they could, and stuck a computer in to keep it in the air. The computers used to model the radar signature of the B-2 during design were more advanced and could handle curved surfaces...
