OK, I'll admit it: The title to this story is an outright lie. For some of the articles I've written previously, the "All About..." heading seemed like a good way to encapsulate the basic, technical-overview approach to whatever subject our esteemed editor tossed my way. Aerodynamics is a whole different deal. Reams of paper, stacks of books, even entire university degree programs have been created to explain this slippery subject, so there's no way I'm gonna be able to cover it all in just a few magazine pages. I'm keeping the title, though. While "Can of Worms" would be a more accurate description of what I went through researching this story, it just doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
What do I mean by can of worms? A couple of things. For a scientific principle that's based on lots of complicated terms and mathematical equations, aerodynamics is tough to pin down. There are so freaking many variables to take into account when figuring the proper aerodynamic envelope for a vehicle that five different engineers can come up with five different answers to the same problem, even if they all use the same calculator. I'm not exaggerating here. Aerodynamic forces, and the means of harnessing them, can literally change with the weather. (Warm air isn't as dense as cold air, and humid air isn't as dense as dry air, and passed gas is just downright smelly.)
And then there's the whole form versus function issue. Let's face it: Most of the aerodynamic pieces we hang on our cars-wings, spoilers, air dams and such-are there because they look good, right? We see 'em on race cars and we want 'em on our cars. But do you really know how they affect your car's aerodynamic performance? Probably not. Guess what! The kit's manufacturer may not know either. Not exactly, anyway.
You see, about the only way to truly judge aero performance is either in a wind tunnel or through countless hours of data-logging in real-world environments. Yet few kit makers have the resources-wind tunnels can cost $1,000 an hour, or more, to use-to subject their designs to that sort of testing. So companies that can't tunnel-test use all sorts of methods to design their pieces, from fluid dynamics equations to replicating race-car components to going on sheer eyeball appeal. The makers who take a scientific approach to kit design have at least some idea that their pieces will improve aerodynamic performance. Those whose designs are based purely on style, well, don't.