Ducktail spoiler
Maybe so. There are still people out there that argue that the entire reason for the large rear supports was just so the trunk would open on the production cars.
Either way, those cars weren't exactly aerodynamics at it's finest. If you have to make a brick go 200mph that's how you do it, but if you were starting from a clean slate you wouldn't use a brick.
True, but remember also that the DC spoiler had a front counterpart as well. The ducktail was just half of the equation, there was a front spoiler too.
Same deal for the T/A and AAR cars too. If I had to guess, I would say that Ma Mopar definitely did testing for the front and rear spoilers for the T/A and AAR cars. The DC spoilers were probably just based off of that design, with little to no testing. At least based on the info that's out there, which isn't much. Case in point, I don't recall any mention of the front spoiler in the info I read on the ducktail. There may have been a front spoiler on the car they "tested" too, which could have made a difference. Especially considering one of the main issues with these cars is the large indented grill area that causes front end lift at higher speeds.
For me I think the take home should be that the spoilers are mostly just a cosmetic addition. I certainly wouldn't expect a huge aerodynamic improvement, even if the general theory is sound. Aerodynamics isn't a subject that does well with generalities, what works on one body style make be completely wrong for another, it's a very specific deal. Reducing air under the car is generally good, and a spoiler on a car with the rear end shape of a Demon/Duster/Dart Sport is generally a good idea, but how the DC spoilers work in reality may be different.
Maybe so. There are still people out there that argue that the entire reason for the large rear supports was just so the trunk would open on the production cars.
Either way, those cars weren't exactly aerodynamics at it's finest. If you have to make a brick go 200mph that's how you do it, but if you were starting from a clean slate you wouldn't use a brick.
True, but remember also that the DC spoiler had a front counterpart as well. The ducktail was just half of the equation, there was a front spoiler too.
Same deal for the T/A and AAR cars too. If I had to guess, I would say that Ma Mopar definitely did testing for the front and rear spoilers for the T/A and AAR cars. The DC spoilers were probably just based off of that design, with little to no testing. At least based on the info that's out there, which isn't much. Case in point, I don't recall any mention of the front spoiler in the info I read on the ducktail. There may have been a front spoiler on the car they "tested" too, which could have made a difference. Especially considering one of the main issues with these cars is the large indented grill area that causes front end lift at higher speeds.
For me I think the take home should be that the spoilers are mostly just a cosmetic addition. I certainly wouldn't expect a huge aerodynamic improvement, even if the general theory is sound. Aerodynamics isn't a subject that does well with generalities, what works on one body style make be completely wrong for another, it's a very specific deal. Reducing air under the car is generally good, and a spoiler on a car with the rear end shape of a Demon/Duster/Dart Sport is generally a good idea, but how the DC spoilers work in reality may be different.
