Some Aerodynamic Aspects of Safety in Road Vehicles: First Paper: Aerodynamic Lift Characteristics of Cars

The principal factors determining the aerodynamic lift of cars are identified from the results of an extensive series of wind-tunnel tests involving simple models of bluff and streamlined form and a variable-geometry saloon-car model. The influence is examined of basic parameters such as camber, incidence, thickness, ground clearance, and underbody roughness. An indication is also given of the extent to which the lift is modified by the squaring of individual edges, particularly the horizontal leading and trailing edges; and the effectiveness of devices fitted under the nose of a car to reduce lift is discussed.