At last: NASCAR Engineer Conducts Aero Analysis of Lightning McQueen
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RFK Racing, the well-known team associated with Brad Keselowski in NASCAR, has conducted an aerodynamic analysis of Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars. You can now watch Seth Dillard, an Aerodynamics/CFD Engineer at RFK, explain the aerodynamic capabilities of Lightning.
“CFD” stands for Computational Fluid Dynamics, which pertains to the analysis of fluids or gases in motion. In this case, it refers to an aerodynamic simulation that looks at the airflow around McQueen. By utilizing advanced computer processors, technicians can evaluate how aerodynamic a vehicle is at various speeds and under different conditions through mathematical calculations.
Dillard mentions that McQueen’s mouth is a point of "stagnation," indicating that air does not flow there. However, if McQueen were a real being, he would likely be breathing through that mouth (although it seems he lacks a nose?), suggesting that opening his mouth could actually provide an aerodynamic advantage.
It's unclear what spurred this analysis—perhaps someone at Disney leaked McQueen's specifications? However, it’s safe to say this is likely the first car Dillard has studied where the aerodynamic characteristics vary based on facial expression.
And just a heads up: McQueen may not be the most aerodynamic vehicle in the Cars universe!
Check out the video:
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At last: NASCAR Engineer Conducts Aero Analysis of Lightning McQueen
NASCAR Computational Fluid Dynamics specialist Seth Dillard has tested Lightning McQueen using his race car aerodynamic simulator, addressing essential inquiries regarding the animated car.