r-pod Airflow

Thanks Outbound.  This confirms my experiences.  I can "feel" when someone is behind me, within this turbulent area - it causes me to slow down, as if I were gently on the brakes.  I'll pretend to be an armchair engineer and say that I think the spoiler is almost the right idea.  I'm inclined to think that an air deflector, which would be high on the Pod and direct air down the rear of the Pod might work better.  It could grab some of the "clean air" and direct it into the low pressure area at the rear of the pod.  It looks like the low volume of air from underneath the vehicles is trying to (inadequately) fill this area.  The faster we go, the more we are "sucked backwards" because of the low pressure.  The air flowing over the top of the Pod should be moving very quickly (like over the top of an airplane wing).  The Pod is "blunt" enough in the rear (unlike an airplane wing) that there is considerable turbulence.  It makes sence (to me) that the lower mounted spoilers would have no effect.  The higher mounted spoiler, it would seem, would push the turbulence back, but create an even bigger low pressure area.  An air deflector, forcing air into the low pressure area, might be the answer.  It will produce some drag, but, I'm thinking not near as much as the big low pressue area behind the Pod.  Is it possible to try something like this on the modeling software? 

techntrek  I'll wave at you the entire trip I'll be so glad to get the 177.  I'll be going up I 81 near Harrisburg so you will have to get your binoculars out to see us.   I plan to thumb my nose at the State legislators as I go by too.

From what I'm seeing there are enough folks in and around PA to have a R-Pod Jamboree sometime in the spring.  Lots of good camp spots in PA.  We have several close to us here in the North Central  part of PA.

I went back to the web site and reread the instructions. Duh !!     Found the instructions to produce the bit map and there in lies the problem.  I don't have my 177 yet so can't photograph the combo to produce the bit map.    I'll postpone the project until I get back from picking up the r pod.  I'll get some good photos while we camp our way through OH, TN, VA, WV, MD and PA.
Thanks for your response and I'll be back to pick your brains at a later date.

Outbound
You have piqued my interest now so I would like to have more info on how you did what you did.  It's been many years since I've played with finite element analysis programs but this seems much simpler.  Questions
1.) how did you develop the outline of your vehicles. I want to try this with my pickup.
2.) I looked at the web site and failed to find any instructions for submitting a shape, nor establishing things like boundary conditions , air velocity, shape size, re numbers  etc.
Can you help me out ?

Unfortunately the videos are blocked here at work - how did the airflow look with the spoiler?  Did you try different size spoilers, and at different heights?