J.Ukrop submitted a new blog post: A Tribute to the Streamliners Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Watching some of these things run accross the salt brought big goose bumps! I get them just looking at these photos! Thanks J...
My fascination with anything streamliner started as a child in the late 60's.I always favored the streamliner trains of the 30's and 40's in my train sets,My grandmother had a Cord 810,I started collecting tube radios from the era,and a friends dad collected toys from that era.Johns dad had a Blue Bird,a Golden Arrow,and a couple of chromed Spirit of America models.Needless to say,my middle name should be streamline.
"As speeds increased, handling became difficult. One wrong move at high speeds could lead to disaster. When it did, the cars crumpled like the sketchpad drawings." I'm intrigued by this statement. So, would it be that they became unstable because they were going at such a higher speed than was possible without the streamliner body? Or was it something about the body that made them unstable? Would be curious on thoughts about this. My un-eduacated guess would be the body just brought out the flaws/limits of the chassis engineering available at the time. Same thing some would say about dropping a large "modern" motor in an otherwise old stock worn out car.
Would it take an Engineering Degree in Aerodynamics to begin to understand what is happening to these body shells at speeds over 200mph? Took my '68 Hemi Charger to 140mph and I chickened! Front end was floating due to the wide valance sloping back from the front bumper providing lift along with the"wicker-bill" Mopar designed rear trunk lid making the air spilling off the roof push down on the rear of the car. Chrysler engineers had to re-design them to make them race-worthy on Nascar tracks - the Charger 500, the Daytona and the Superbird. Yes, I'm a bit off topic. The most interesting aspect of this thread is the fact of men using the trial and error, seat of the pants process of gaining land speed velocity!
Back in the days the only wind tunnel testing was your wet finger out side the cockpit...............LoL
Just a guess, but those early streamliners looked like they would produce a LOT of lift at speed. Rich
Von Dyke nailed it. Different body shapes react to different speeds. Over 200 and you step up to the next level. Thats the level that can kill the driver if he is slow to react. I have been going once a year every year for just short of 30. If you listen to what the guys talk about, you learn a lot. In today's world, horse power is cheap. The aero is the thing, it must be right. Learn fluid dynamics, test before you race, you will be successful. If you are too poor to race yourself, go anyway and volunteer. Its the best way there is to spend a life.
Warren Johnson was being interviewed by Nat'l Dragster when GM took him from Olds to Pontiac. He said his Olds was more aerodynamic than the new 'bird due to the overall area involved. He then said, "The most aerodynamic shape known is a raindrop." That's as far O/T I want to get on the topic, but if we look at the best of the best in aerodynamics on the salt they seem to be just that with the addition of room for the wheels and sometimes the engine. That plays even more toward the use of belly tanks, doesn't it? Our common perceptions on the subject don't play all the time. Some of these guys had true vision to be able to make it work safely. Where it's gone in today's world, look at the 'Baker in the last TRJ and some of our newer streamliners. I watched Al Teague make a 437MPH blast in 91. He shifted into his top gear right where we were standing and promptly disappeared into a little black dot. Fuggin awesome, I can almost hear it as type this...(!)
Great article. Chet Herbert Beast 3 is in many ways the cream of the crop when talking aero. Chet hired Cal-Tech engineer Rod Schapel to design his streamliner and used Cal-Techs wind tunnel, the first hot rodder to do so. Going back prewar Bob Rufi used aerodynamic principles to design his streamliner. As highlander above said a raindrop is the most aerodynamic shape with its widest part 1/3 down, Rufi streamliner when finished resembled the body of a Tuna. Lastly the greatest streamliner that never reached its potential is the Fred Carrillo streamliner if it weren't for a faulty magnesium wheel everybody would know of it, but alas it disintegrated at close to 300mph.
Jimmy, Couldn't agree more, Fred Carillo's car was way ahead of its time, poliwog-shaped, rear end narrower than front for proper aerodynamics....I forget how fast it was going when the front mag wheel (which had bubbles cast into it) disintegrated, also the tire was probably over-inflated as the Firestone engineers really didn't know what the pressure should be (well, who would at those speeds)....so the question is, who designed it? Fred was a genius (later built connecting rods)....but I don't remember who actually designed the car...Jimmy, I expect you would know... After the crash, Fred lost part of his foot, was probably lucky to survive...
Alan McDougall designed it using cues from the P-51 Mustang. The streamliner was approaching 300mph when the over inflated tyre blew the outside rim lip off. Basically the Firestone engineers telling Carrillo to run 90psi and couple that with the hydrogen bubbles inside the flawed magnesium Halibrand wheel caused the accident. If the tyres didn't have so much pressure the flaws in the wheel likely wouldn't have been a problem.
Blah, blah blah.................I keep trying to find fault with your storytelling, and as you have grown with this site, I cannot. I succumb to your mastering of storytelling too often left behind in our passion called hot rodding. From now on I'll not inflate your ego except for a "like". many more to follow, I'M SURE............. well done,........... again!
The Summers Bros. car with the rear wheels in tandem,,,,300+ on one motor, at the time, was pretty good.
Before the Summers bros Golden Rod there was the Polliwog, which went 300mph. Engine I believe was the blown Hemi from the rear engine T roadster. Summers polliwog streamliner http://www.ahrf.com/category/photos...ype=search&position=25&keyword=Summers&page=1
How 'bout a streamlined Thunderbird. Knott's stock bodied Bird ran 202. A year later, with the same engine, and this configuration, it ran over 240. And the look of LSR Modified Sports cars was forever changed. Yes, there are 2 panels on the body that are totally stock. The doors.
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