Make a functional wing with free plywood?

thanks! its run at 2.75 deg AoA and this was the first and only time i ran the car with the wing. More data is required, i am changing the set up on the car this year, big rubber, bigger brakes as well so the aero will play into all of it.

Well, this happened yesterday:

Weighs 26 lbs and I can stand on it in the middle. Since standing on your wing is apparently the good way to prove its strength. 79 inches wide (78 wing plus two 1/2 inch end plates). Total cost is about one small bottle of wood glue $2.50 and like 20 2 inch screws - $.50? Even if I bought a sheet of new plywood I'm only using roughly 1/3 of it. So this can be reproduced with new material for $20-$30.

Next up, testing!

Supports underneath and end plates are just screwed on for now, since I might want to move them around for testing. So far I think I'm around 4 hours of build time on this. Many more hours of planning and research though.

I also tried my hand at making a youtube video of this process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afn3a-6ADvA

great vid Robbie! "Scientific Method" LMAO! i made my splitter from "reclaimed" aluminum honeycomb panels and bonded/spliced them together to get a panel big enough to be a splitter and then i used old pallets to make the internal structure of my wing that i skinned with aluminum from the trash. Wish i had the minerals to put a vid together when i made my aero kit...but making stuff for free is always cool - even better when it works!

thanks again!

Matt

Robbie,

I finally got around to watching your video of the wing forming/build. Well done on the presentation. It looks like you have a good base for further testing and development.

In reply to stafford1500 :

Thanks! Yeah I've been stuck the last few weeks with other work (mostly the explosion of all things plant that happens in spring with all this rain) but I am excited to get testing it.

I've also been steadily reading through library books on vehicles and aerodynamics, so maybe I'm learning.

If you have questions on how to approach the on car testing, let me know.

Here's the testing thread, I will have lots of questions and will be looking for input for everyone:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/aerodynamics-presented-nine-lives-racing/hold-my-beer-and-watch-this-or-scientific-airfoil-testing/155795/page1/

Well, this happened:

Team name: "Cargo Cult Racing."

so, are we going to get an 'after-action' report on how this/these did?  Besides the one shot in another thread of how flat the wing is, compared to the roll of the body, I haven't seen much.

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Yes, I've been planning a write-up which I should finish today. I'm delinquent. Short version is they work well but we had other problems that prevented better data.

As a guy that also builds, designs and flies RC airplanes, I commend your start with real airfoils.  I bet Jim Hall would also be inspired.