Ya know McFly, it's an interesting question as you peel the onion...(perhaps...or perhaps I'm just thinking too much).
My initial reaction was "huh...that's on the inside" as well. And having talked to lots of racers that have said chasing speed with tip changes has been mostly unfulfilling, I didn't think innards would make a difference.
Then seeing Gary's post about dimpling hit a note. The past year (with lots of racing), my tip lenses have cracked quite a bit (changing them now). Was it the number of hours at race speeds putting loads on them via tip dimpling, or did taping the edges of the lenses put stress on them, or is it just them being 13 years old...hmmmm.
That leads me to wondering if dimpling or deforming would cause more drag/less speed (slight though it may be), or would the deformation be the tips' attempt to fair a bit more and become less of a drag producer.
If anything, its likely the former, but with aerodynamics, you just never know...and its best to look at all sides.
So, for the aero engineers...would stiffening the tips with inserts to maintain shape be a drag reducer, or would losing the natural flex (if any) be a drag producer?
I've never noted any visible flex or deformation, but Randy's foam stiffeners caught my eye in
this thread.
Cool Q McFly! See ya at the WCFC!
Cheers,
Bob
