aerodynamics
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Star Wars’ Ships Have Terrible Aerodynamic Designs
Video: When you’re flying around in space, where there’s no air or wind resistance, aerodynamics aren’t important. That’s why the Star Trek Borg ship is just a giant cube and still works just fine. But when ships are also visiting planets with atmospheres, aerodynamics do come into play – and apparently neither the Rebels nor…
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What Does Mach One (or Two Or Three) Mean?
We’ve heard blasé dialog about Mach numbers from fighter pilots in movies, but do you know what Mach numbers actually mean? Among other things, it means that two planes going at Mach 1 can actually be going at very different speeds.
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Simply Putting Fins On Tires Could Improve A Vehicle’s Fuel Efficiency
Slapping a giant fin on the back of your hand-me-down Corolla isn’t going to make it go any faster. But researchers at Yokohama have found that adding a series of angled fins to a tire can actually help improve a vehicle’s aerodynamics, which in turn means better fuel efficiency and fewer stops at the pumps.
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Watch The McLaren P1’s Hypnotising Wind Tunnel Tests
One of the most crucial factors in making a fast car is considering how much down-force the car has. Down-force describes the way air interacts with the aerodynamic design of the car to keep it onto the road. That way, the tyres are always firmly planted to deliver you the best possible acceleration and handling.…