If swimmers wish to better there own performance, why don't they just swim in budgie smugglers and continue to inject steroids.
Its a proven concept and works really well, just ask the Chinese. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Borgelt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:23 AM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Swimmers getting helped by new surfaces > At 11:06 AM 27/03/2008, you wrote: >>On 27/3/08 1:27 AM, "Michael Derry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>John Roake: His reply hereunder: >> >>THIS FROM THE JANUARY ISSUE OF GLIDING INTERNATIONAL >> >> >>SHARK SKIN RESEARCH COULD REDUCE SAILPLANE DRAG BY 30 PERCENT It >>may seem obvious that the surface of an airplane should be as smooth >>as possible to minimize aerodynamic drag, but that's not really the >>case. A bit of roughness can break up the boundary layer and improve >>efficiency. Sharks, with skin formed of rough scales called >>denticles, can slip through the water at speeds of up to 60 mph with >>minimal drag. This week, The Lindbergh Foundation awarded a grant to >>Dr. Amy Lang, at the University of Alabama, to study whether the >>surface texture on the skin of fast-swimming sharks, capable of >>bristling their scales when in pursuit of prey, could be mimicked >>and used to reduce the drag on sailplanes. "If we can successfully >>show there is a significant effect, future applications to reduce >>drag of sailplanes and underwater vehicles could be possible," said >>Lang. The technology has the potential to increase aerodynamic >>efficiency up to 30 percent, with savings of billions of dollars and >>substantial reductions in aircraft fuel burn and emissions. Dr. Lang >>will perform water-tunnel experiments to measure the flow over and >>within a bristled sharkskin model (2 cm size scales), which achieves >>similarity with real sharkskin (0.2 mm size scales) by a >>corresponding scale down in velocity of the experiments. She will >>also obtain drag measurements over a sharkskin model in a Couette >>flow facility containing high-viscosity oil. Her work is also >>supported by the National Science Foundation. >> >> >> >>JOHN, EDITOR, GLIDING INTERNATIONAL >> > > AFAIK this has all been done long ago. Either the Lindberg Foundation > thinks this is a new angle on it or they are unaware of the previous work. > > Mike > Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments > phone Int'l + 61 746 355784 > fax Int'l + 61 746 358796 > cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784 > Int'l + 61 429 355784 > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
