put this in your pipe and smoke it.......possible gas saver.. what do you think?

[Pacair]

To add a wing to a 3500 pound car you would need a wing wider than most highways. You also would need more engine power to overcome the increased drag.
By driving behind a Semi you do use less power but that is because you are reducing the iar friction (volume of air) striking your car. A vacuum would be ideal but is not reality.

[Haliburton]

To add a wing to a 3500 pound car you would need a wing wider than most highways

NOT

EVEN

CLOSE

we are not talking about complete lift off

reduction of only a few hundred pounds makes a big diff.  for that only a small wing is needed at 60+

LIKE I SAID what causes more friction the cars moving parts or the wind? thats the question.

[vdubdipr]

thanks hal for the back up... it would be interenting to see some math on DRAG VS WIEGHT.
maybe they effect eachother.  but i think to a certain point if drag is minimized there would be a net gain for wieght loss by airfoil... 

got math anyone?

[Haliburton]

well to find out really what may work better just compare the two.  Heat and friction on moving parts under a load

VS wind friction on the wind foil.

HEAT & FRICTION = moving parts

WIND FRICTION= wind foil

the packed bearing and metal on metal in my mind create way more lost energy then a wind foil.

so it seems as tho a wind foil may relieve the moving parts on the vehicle adding MPG reducing wasted energy

[Pirate88179]

Sorry Haliburton, you are not even close.  The bearings used today are not frictionless, but nearly so.  There is a lot of precision that goes into making them.  A bearing does not "know" how much weight is placed upon it.  It only knows the coefficient of friction it was designed for.  Lighter is better yes.  No argument from me on that.  I said as much in my previous post.  But, to use the wind to "make" the vehicle lighter is a losing game.  The math is simple. (I suck at math) the drag from wind resistance increases as a square of the velocity.  This is math.  This is proven.  You can't get something for nothing.  An airplane, just before it lifts off, may only weigh 20 lbs.  But, it paid a price in horsepower to overcome the drag created by the lift generated by the wings.  Aircraft have a much higher power to weight ratio (more math) than automobiles.  They have to.

@ vdubdipr:

I really don't mean to sound like the voice of doom here.  I am just going with accepted math and physics that have been understood for many years.  Possibly, with your line of thinking, you may come upon some other overlooked technique that can work.  I love creative thinking, I really do.  Just because no one has thought of something before does not make it a bad idea.  Some will tell you it does.  I don't think so.  The Wright brothers were told by many "experts" that heavier than air craft can not possibly fly. (These included the top scientists of the day and college professors)  Well, we know differently now.

So, don't give up.  Keep thinking!  Just remember to use the known laws of physics (such as they are) in your planning so you do not have to re-invent the wheel.

Bill