From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Windage and performance test results for a 1939 Century Buick, comparing them to a 1938 model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 125\3\ scan0092 | |
| Date | 13th March 1939 | |
| 1049 + 1320 To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/TAS.{T. Allan Swinden}8/JH.13.3.39. 1939 Century Buick Windage. The following figures have been obtained on the car belonging to the Experimental Department, and are based on a road wheel dyno power curve (Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/TAS{T. Allan Swinden}/27.2.39) and tests on Brooklands. It is interesting to note that the values obtained for the air resistance coefficient and the horse power necessary to propel the car at 80 m.p.h. are almost identical with those obtained on the 1938 Century Buick recently tested. ********** Max. lap speed .................... 91 m.p.h. Road wheel dyno. H.P. at max. lap speed, at underbonnet temperature and corrected for power lost in driving the dyno. 89 H.P. Weight - Total ............ 1.85 tons. Front ............ 0.98 tons. Rear ............. 0.87 tons. Frontal Area .................... 26 sq.ft. Tyre rolling resistance (dyno, tyres at 45 lb/in2) 35 lbs/ton. (track,tyres at 35 lb/in2) 52.8 lbs/ton. From the above data - Air resistance coefficient K = .00139 or C = 391 K = .543. At 80 m.p.h. the power required to drive the car = 60.3 H.P. The 1938 Buick recently tested had a K = .00138 and required 58.8 H.P. to propel it at 80 M.P.H. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/T.A. Swindon. | ||