Why the Duck?
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Why the Duck?
I'm like Schultz, 'I know nothing' when it comes to the duck. What is the purpose? Is it for looks only? Does it provide some sort of aerodynamic advantage? I'm not trying to be a smarta**, just never have understood the duck. Thanks
#3
Answer: It does what the normal active wing does, except without the moving parts. There might be a loss of fuel efficiency at low speeds, but that is more than compensated for by looking better (no ugly "under the mattress" look) and by losing the moving arms/motors/wiring, etc. that can fail.
#4
RL Community Team
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Downforce
Looks
Looks
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
It's a retro thing
You can read about the history here
http://rallyways.com/11256/porsche-d...oiler-history/
You can read about the history here
http://rallyways.com/11256/porsche-d...oiler-history/
Last edited by flickroll; 09-13-2017 at 01:51 PM.
#7
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It's meant for the crowd that does not want to hear, "hey dumbass, your trunk lid is open!".
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#8
Three Wheelin'
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#10
Three Wheelin'
^Hilar. I had a guy go to the rear to get my golf clubs.....while the car was running.
#12
I'm like Schultz, 'I know nothing' when it comes to the duck. What is the purpose? Is it for looks only? Does it provide some sort of aerodynamic advantage? I'm not trying to be a smarta**, just never have understood the duck. Thanks
Basic car profile is an aileron (wing) and it will generate lift. Ferdy should have been consulting with his mates at Junkers and Messerschmidt, but aerodynamics at 50 mph were not critical at the time. Duck acts eggsackly like a spoiler on an airplane wing. Busts up the clean flow of air, thereby killing/minimizing lift.
Basic car profile is an aileron (wing) and it will generate lift. Ferdy should have been consulting with his mates at Junkers and Messerschmidt, but aerodynamics at 50 mph were not critical at the time. Duck acts eggsackly like a spoiler on an airplane wing. Busts up the clean flow of air, thereby killing/minimizing lift.
#13
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I'm like Schultz, 'I know nothing' when it comes to the duck. What is the purpose? Is it for looks only? Does it provide some sort of aerodynamic advantage? I'm not trying to be a smarta**, just never have understood the duck. Thanks
Basic car profile is an aileron (wing) and it will generate lift. Ferdy should have been consulting with his mates at Junkers and Messerschmidt, but aerodynamics at 50 mph were not critical at the time. Duck acts eggsackly like a spoiler on an airplane wing. Busts up the clean flow of air, thereby killing/minimizing lift.
Basic car profile is an aileron (wing) and it will generate lift. Ferdy should have been consulting with his mates at Junkers and Messerschmidt, but aerodynamics at 50 mph were not critical at the time. Duck acts eggsackly like a spoiler on an airplane wing. Busts up the clean flow of air, thereby killing/minimizing lift.
#14
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I love the duck and fixed wing. ....but on the 991.2, there is no duck. It's a gosling or something. You need a microscope to see it.
#15
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Spoilers and wings on street cars are for decoration and cause huge drag in a straight line. I did some instrumented testing on fitting spoilers and wings to a BMW M3 and was stunned at how much they slowed the car down above 110 mph. A small trunk spoiler cost 3 - 4 mph and wing around 6 - 8 mph at max speed.
Sure, they are great at the track if you have a race suspension and slicks or R-Comps to take advantage of the stick in the corners and now you can go 'round the corners like nobody's business, but a street car at an HPDE can't take advantage of the downforce because your suspension and tires are not up to it for the majority of owners. So if you want to spend money on your street ride and slow your car down - by all means put one on.
The rear pop-up spoilers that come up at speed help keep the rear from lifting on cars that tend to do so which is why your Porsche has it. First generation Audi TT's became unstable over 110 mph causing many severe crashes (and five deaths) were attributed to that lift so that started the real trend of activated spoilers in the German cars that routinely hit those speeds on the Autobahns.
Sure, they are great at the track if you have a race suspension and slicks or R-Comps to take advantage of the stick in the corners and now you can go 'round the corners like nobody's business, but a street car at an HPDE can't take advantage of the downforce because your suspension and tires are not up to it for the majority of owners. So if you want to spend money on your street ride and slow your car down - by all means put one on.
The rear pop-up spoilers that come up at speed help keep the rear from lifting on cars that tend to do so which is why your Porsche has it. First generation Audi TT's became unstable over 110 mph causing many severe crashes (and five deaths) were attributed to that lift so that started the real trend of activated spoilers in the German cars that routinely hit those speeds on the Autobahns.