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down force F! cars

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mecka | 07:29 Sat 16th Oct 2004 | How it Works
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if down force can be used for grip in f1 cars why can't we use fins to compensate for centrifugal force?
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(Not quite the right section for this question....)

Also not quite sure I understand the question, but I think you are wanting to use fore-and-aft fins to prevent a vehicle sliding sideways on a corner.

I think the reason is that "centrifugal" force will operate broadside to the vehicle.  While you are still moving forward (that is, not skidding), fins are just slicing through the air along their length.  They will only give a straightening force once the vehicle is skidding sideways quite fast -- by which time it's far too late.

You'd have to have your fins turning with the wheels, in to the corner.  However, even then I suspect you'd need unfeasibly large fins to have a significant effect.

Sailing boats do have them, of course.  They are pushed sideways by the force of the wind on the sails, and so they have a keel (or in dinghies a centreboard)  and rudder to keep them straight.  But they are not running on solid ground, and so have nothing else to grip on than the water itself.

 

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