Aero mirrors

[Bill Maisey]

Where does one find the aero/teardrop mirrors as seen on some of the cars in the banner photo?

[starkejt]

Many cars use the SPA mirrors available at Pegasus.

[BWC54]

Many cars use the SPA mirrors available at Pegasus.

The ones he's asking about aren't Spa. Neil Porter has the aero mirrors. I don't know who the manufacturer is.

[starkejt]

The ones he's asking about aren't Spa. Neil Porter has the aero mirrors. I don't know who the manufacturer is.

Are those the ones that are just called Race Mirrors? racemirrors.com or some such?

[BWC54]

Are those the ones that are just called Race Mirrors? racemirrors.com or some such?

Yes

[Neil Porter]

Aero mirror web site is Racemirrors.com. Neil

[Hamish]

Has anyone used these and any feedback?

[reidhazelton]

I don't use them personally just because of the cost, but just about every FF and FF2000 car over here uses the elliptical ones. Not sure if they are from the same company.

Old, cheap, square ones that came on the car work for me.

[Hamish]

I don't use them personally just because of the cost, but just about every FF and FF2000 car over here uses the elliptical ones. Not sure if they are from the same company.

Old, cheap, square ones that came on the car work for me.

Yep they sure are expensive! Just wondering if there is a genuine performance advantage, even if it's small! Anyone know? Is there only one Supplier of them?

[Scotty Segers]

We used them, expensive and very very fragile.

Scotty

[BrianT1]

I have used them and I think the mirror quality on the spa convex are better. Just seems clearer on the spa mirrors.

Just my 2 cents.

Brian

[Richard Hybels]

I can hardly remember now but years ago I was told that on an Indy car in the wind tunell these mirrors were like adding 15 HP.

[smsazzy]

Surely you mean 1.5, not 15 HP.

http://www.racemirrors.com/Advanced%20Technology.htm

See wind tunnel results.

[carl correll]

15hp per pair, or each? Heck, I'd screw them on all over the place until I reached at least 500hp.

[TimW]

[Richard Hybels]

alright already. I guess my memory failed me.
There are two things about being 67: One is your memory gets bad and I forget the other.
BTW only two people here are contributing members. Come on now boys. Look how much fun you had making me wrong.

[Chris Livengood]

Of course thanks to the nature of aerodynamics, specifically its mathematically cubic nature, and what are relatively low average speeds of the cars most of us run, these mirrors mean somewhere between diddly and squat. That is unless of course you added up the horsepower advantage they gave you over say, an entire season, or perhaps your desire for slick looking mirrors.

[Gokart Mozart]

Chris,

Thank you for that. I figured bolting aero mirrors on my Eagle would do as much as spreading KY all over the body before a run.

Happy New Year,

Jacques

[Chris Livengood]

Chris,

Thank you for that. I figured bolting aero mirrors on my Eagle would do as much as spreading KY all over the body before a run.

Happy New Year,

Jacques

Any time Jacques,

Keep in mind KY is technology of the 67 year old up there. Us young folk have moved on to newer, better, aerodynamic enhancers.

[smsazzy]

Of course thanks to the nature of aerodynamics, specifically its mathematically cubic nature, and what are relatively low average speeds of the cars most of us run, these mirrors mean somewhere between diddly and squat. That is unless of course you added up the horsepower advantage they gave you over say, an entire season, or perhaps your desire for slick looking mirrors.

Depends on the car and the track. At a track like RA, if you are getting close to terminal velocity, an extra horsepower or two can make a difference. (the wind tunnel testing didn't specify if the .93 HP was each mirror or for the pair. If it is each, thats a big difference) if your engine builder offered you an extra HP for $300, would you say no?

[Neil_Roberts]

Assuming standard day atmospheric conditions and no interference effects between the car and the mirrors, here is the power required to push a pair of 6 square inch mirrors of various shapes through the air at 150 mph:

2.01 hp cube (Cd = 1.05)
0.90 hp sphere (Cd = 0.47)
0.80 hp half sphere with flat aft face (Cd = 0.42)

The last one comes closest to a realistic mirror housing shape. I'd say that either there were significant interference effects between the car and mirrors, or the racemirrors generate thrust.

[Hardingfv32]

This paper is pretty much on point:

Aerodynamics of F1 Car Side Mirror

By
E. Rind and Z. W. Hu

Report No. AFM-07/06
2007

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, SCIENCES AND MATHEMTICS

Brian

[Scotty Segers]

All this information is great but when the mirror breaks off in the middle of the race and you have only half the number of mirrors you started with that's the best aero package of all, but's it's sure is not much fun.

Scotty

[protoform]

everyone seems to be talking about very fast formula cars. I run a vee and not sure for us if it makes much difference. I do have a very nice set of carbon mirrors that the previous owner (Jim Kearney) put on.