A big thanks to Dr. Goggles for getting a remark in on my favorite "aero" book, "The Leading Edge" ! Yes it is "challenging" reading and yes it is about cars that only go 50-60 mph, sun racers, but it addresses more of the details that we need to be interested in if we are going to build an efficient aerodynamic car than any other book I have seen. I have a copy in my shop, next to my bed and in the "reading room" and I re-read and review it all of the time. Maybe I need to stop reading and start building!!!
Just a comment on most of the present day cars that are running at the 400 mph area and also I include Marlo's car, if you look at them most of them are the same basic shape, some sort of pointed nose, a square cross section, long flat sides and some sort of shaped tail that closes out the rear of the car. Only the Spectre car, and Al Teague's (I know the spelling is wrong!) diverge from this general "formula". I think that the new car that is being designed by Rob and Woody (with help from Blue) is a true step away from the standard formula and I, for one, am wishing them the greatest success. Also if you look at the three leading motorcycles all of them are built along the lines that Blue is suggesting, not a flat bottom in the bunch.
Just a note on the Cd vs the "wetted area" conflict, I read an article in the magazine "Bernoulli" by the aero dynamisist for the JCB diesel car and he said that 75% of the total drag on that car was skin friction which is directly related to wetted area.
Rex