A Parametric Investigation of the Validity of 1/25 Scale Automobile Aerodynamic Testing

Wind tunnel tests have been performed measuring the aerodynamic forces and underbody boundary layer profiles for 1/25 scale models. The trends of the force coefficients with Reynolds number, the underbody boundary layer profiles, and the influence of the ground plane boundary layer on the force coefficients of small scale models has been shown to be similar with previous results from larger models. This study has shown the usefulness of small scale models for parametric studies of automobile aerodynamics. The agreement of the data with previous results, also supports the possibility of a method of correction for boundary layer growth on fixed ground planes used in automobile model testing.