# Aeronautical Engineering question... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119 "2000-10-16T14:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/21 "2000-10-17T20:18:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waterj2 \* > **As for racing, I remember hearing that when practicing at the F1 track at Indy for the first time, they were surprised to find that the benefits of cranking up the downforce for the twisty half outweighed the benefits of turning it down for the fast part.** Getting off the subject: That surprised most of the teams, too, as I heard reported. Their computer simulations had mostly shown that the optimum speed was with minimum downforce, but pre-race testing found the opposite. I heard that Williams actually found the difference between minimum wing and maximum wing was only about 1 second. Oh, and for anyone asking about my credentials, I am indeed an aerospace engineer. It might surprise anyone without a technical background to know of the vast range of terms that are vital in various industries and scientific specialties, but are unknown outside of it. The words “turbulate,” “turbulator,” and “turbulation” are in fact in common use in this industry, among many others. There are a number of complete dictionaries in print full of only technical terms, even with those terms limited to specific specialties. Now, does anyone know how to activate the Bozo Filter on this board? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/22 "2000-10-17T21:23:27Z")
**ElvisL1ves** and **Omniscient** , feel free to debate the meaning and useage of words like “turbulate” to your heart’s content here. Please do _not_ feel free to call each other “stroke boy” (I think that’s an insult) and “bozo” in this forum. If you want to insult each other, take it to the Pit. This has been a message from your friendly neighborhood GQ moderator. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/23 "2001-02-09T15:29:48Z")
I just had to share this…from the ‘…Cool european cars…’ thread. [Corbin](http://www.corbinmotors.com/sparrow.htm) motors has created a little electric vehicle that is practically a tricycle. They have incorporated dimples on the [back](http://www.corbinmotors.com/cut1.jpg) of the front [fenders](http://www.corbinmotors.com/mer14.jpg) of the vehicle. I didn’t see it anywhere else on the ‘car’. I wonder if they’ve demonstrated a significant benefit to doing this, or whether it simply matches the image of the car. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/24 "2001-02-09T19:27:15Z")
I think NASA modified a (or **the** ) F16XL to experiment with this. Seems to be quite promising. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/25 "2001-02-09T21:16:20Z")
cantara, my gut instinct would be that the dimples are for a stylish effect, not an aerodynamic one. This vehicle probbaly isn’t going to be traveling at a speed where an efficient turbulent boundry layer could be generated. Also the dimples seem too big for the speed and surface area we’re considering. As always, its tough to say anything for certain without there being any scientific analysis, but when one considers that the website doesn’t boast about the technology of using these dimples, I’m prone to be skeptical. I’m thinking form outweighs function on this one, much like the vast majority of rear trunklid spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Grok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Grok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grok)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119/26 "2001-02-10T02:16:06Z")
Geez. I’m a private pilot, and I have barely understood three words in this whole thread. I better go study… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeronautical-engineering-question/37119.md?page=1)