Could a golf ball body really make a difference?

[RetroKevin]

I remember years ago Mythbusters did a video on the golf ball effect on cars.

Funny enough, this came up on my youtube feed just now.

Do you think adding golf ball divots to a body of a RC could increase speed, jumping distance, and all around performance?

Do you think it would be legal in races and competitions?

Edit side note: can anyone identify the RC body displayed in this video?

 

[Tunedfrog]

Hey, this may help my rig from slicing to the right..
Coming home from Boise this weekend, we drove parallel to a golf course and somebody smacked a ball and came bouncing across the road right in front of my truck..

 

[WickedFog]

I think it would really depend on the car's body shape. Not sure what that body is. You would think they would have used a Volkswagen Golf body.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I wouldn't think it would make a difference.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I believe the dimples are most effective because the ball is spinning. I think just adding divots is marginally effective at improving airstream.
A round ball will go fifty yards. Same weight and size ball with dimples will go straight and fly three hundred yards.

 

[tntpoof]

I dont think this style would fly past tech in any class of rc racing..isnt there a rule of no body modifications allowed... that looks like a rally car body not sure by who .. a mildly hot poker would do the indents. to me they look like more of a star pastern not a gold ball dimple.make 1 but have a non modified body if you get teched and they find a problem...had a body that my brother in law painted me that was a pit shell only had 23 colors in it was a xxxt mf chassis with a proline body back in early 2000

 

[Iowa crawler]

I have spent twelve years racing land speed motorcycles. In the one mile and at Bonneville ( racing for 2021 starts this month)

The subject of aerodynamics is very very complex and often counter intuitive. But in twelve years I have seen two people try the dimple fairing thing. They said is did nothing. That’s not scientific but what I have seen.

 

[WickedFog]

I believe the dimples are most effective because the ball is spinning. I think just adding divots is marginally effective at improving airstream.
A round ball will go fifty yards. Same weight and size ball with dimples will go straight and fly three hundred yards.

That reminds me... I am pretty sure I saw where the spinning is actually part of the whole aerodynamic thing. I would imagine if it were an effective aerodynamic tool the space vehicles they keep launching would use this. Maybe they should try building a rocket with a huge spinning golf ball for a nose

 

[Iowa crawler]

Or build a spaceship that spins. Put it on a giant T platform. Then have a huge weight swing down and hit it in to space. You go first.

 

[WickedFog]

Or build a spaceship that spins. Put it on a giant T platform. Then have a huge weight swing down and hit it in to space. You go first.

Like in the movie Robots lol.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Dang I thought I was going to be the next billionaire in space with that idea.

 

[WickedFog]

Dang I thought I was going to be the next billionaire in space with that idea.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Haha.

 

[WickedFog]

Haha.

They need to mount a rocket propelled hammer to the space station to send the ships on to Mars

Would be the universe's biggest game of Croquet

 

[Iowa crawler]

I think the point of the dimples is air. So space flight would not be a good use for dimples.

 

[WickedFog]

I think the point of the dimples is air. So space flight would not be a good use for dimples.

No, but a bigass hammer with rockets on it would be fun to watch lol

 

[Iowa crawler]

Anything that has fire spraying out and makes noise is fun. Except , I guess fireworks. They scare my dog.