<VV> Information to use in promoting the Corvair

[Alan Wesson]

Hudson claimed that my 36/37 Terraplane was unibody, but it is semi- 
unibody really - the chassis is still massive. And anyway, Chrysler  
were 2 years before.

Cheers

Alan

P.S. And Lancia were 12 years before *them*!





On 22 Jun 2009, at 21:59, J R Read_HML wrote:

> Looks as if Lonzo got it right - Chrysler Airflow.
>
>> From the wiki on the net:
>
> Breer, along with fellow Chrysler engineers Fred Zeder and Owen  
> Skelton,
> began a series of wind tunnel tests, with the cooperation of Orville  
> Wright,
> to study which forms were the most efficient shape created by nature  
> that
> could suit an automobile. Chrysler built a wind tunnel at the  
> Highland Park
> site, and tested at least 50 scale models by April 1930. Their  
> engineers
> found that then-current two-box automobile design was so  
> aerodynamically
> inefficient, that it was actually more efficient turned around  
> backwards.
> Applying what they had learned about shape, the engineers also began  
> looking
> into ways that a car could be built, which also used monocoque  
> (unibody)
> construction to both strengthen the construction (the strengthening  
> was used
> in a publicity reel [1]) of the car while reducing its overall drag,  
> and
> thus increasing the power-to-drag ratio as the lighter, more  
> streamlined
> body allowed air to flow around it instead of being caught through  
> upright
> forms, such as radiator grilles, headlights and windshields.
>
> Traditional automobiles of the day were the typical two-box design,  
> with
> about 65% of the weight over the rear wheels. When loaded with  
> passengers,
> the weight distribution tended to become further imbalanced, rising  
> to 75%
> or more over the rear wheels, resulting in unsafe handling  
> characteristics
> on slippery roads. Spring rates in the rear of traditional vehicles  
> were,
> therefore, necessarily higher, and passengers were subjected to a  
> harsher
> ride.
>
> An innovative suspension system on the new Chrysler Airflow stemmed  
> from the
> need for superior handling dynamics. The engine was moved forward  
> over the
> front wheels compared with traditional automobiles of the time, and
> passengers were all moved forward so that they were seated within the
> wheelbase, rather than on top of the rear axle. The weight  
> distribution had
> approximately 54% of the weight over the front wheels, which evened  
> to near
> 50-50 with passengers, and resulted in more equal spring rates, better
> handling, and far superior ride quality.
>
> Later, JR
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron" <ronh at owt.com>
> To: "John Kepler" <jekepler at amplex.net>; "'J R Read_HML'"
> <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net>; "'Alan and Clare Wesson'" <alan.wesson at atlas.co.uk 
> >;
> "'Virtual Vairs'" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>; "'Stephen Upham'"
> <contactsmu at sbcglobal.net>
> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 3:51 PM
> Subject: Re: <VV> Information to use in promoting the Corvair
>
>
>> Nope, starting in '49 all Nash cars were unibody!
>> RonH
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all  
> copyrights are the property
> of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, mailto:vv-help at corvair.org
> This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, http://www.corvair.org/
> Post messages to: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
> Change your options: http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/options/virtualvairs
> _______________________________________________