Quote:
Originally Posted by Dnasty777
That's why golf balls have dimples! Now that would be interesting to see, a TB with dimples like a golf ball on the inside.
|
good point, someone should have thought of this...or maybe they did and found a bad side to it.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dirt bike dave
That is the theory, but I've seen parties with advanced knowledge report that a shiny surface does little if anything to promote air flow.
Basically, there is a 'boundry layer' - a thin area of turbulent air near the surface, and it matters not whether the surface is polished smooth or not.
Bottom line is it may not be worth the trouble to polish.
|
ever hear of the concorde? did you know that before every flight they would wax the skin of the aircraft with a polish to reduce parasitic drag and to further streamline it? how does that theory tie in there????
also, as a pilot I can tell you on my airplane (Piper PA-22) and a much faster airplane (Mooney M20J) that an aircraft with smoother skin (ie. flush metal rivets vs. rounded rivets) will generally cruise 1-2 knots faster. with a good wax on all smooth surfaces you will see another 3-4 knots. howard hughes puts this into good perspective with his HB-1 Racer. He acheived a world top speed record back in the '30s by elimitating drag by shaving the rivets to create a smooth skin aircraft. also, it may help to note the finish of the aluminum he used to further help eliminate drag.