markjenn
Well-known member
The TGV train example is a poor one. I suspect in this case weight does matter to top speed, but not with respect to the ultimate speed of the train in a straight line on level ground. It matters because the TGV is probably top-speed limited by its rate of acceleration between areas where, because of traffic, grade, and track conditions, it has to slow down, and because a heavier train adds extra stress to the tracks. For a steel-wheeled vehicle on steel rails, the extra steady-speed drag associated with a heavier train on level ground is negligible.
Bottom line is that you could make your FJR fairing panels out of steel and the resulting 2K-lb FJR would take a long time to get to top speed, but its top speed wouldn't be much slower than a stock FJR. The only difference affecting the top speed would be the increase in rolling resistance due to the extra weight and at 150-mph, rolling resistance is perhaps 5% of aero drag, so doubling it isn't going to have a large effect.
- Mark
Bottom line is that you could make your FJR fairing panels out of steel and the resulting 2K-lb FJR would take a long time to get to top speed, but its top speed wouldn't be much slower than a stock FJR. The only difference affecting the top speed would be the increase in rolling resistance due to the extra weight and at 150-mph, rolling resistance is perhaps 5% of aero drag, so doubling it isn't going to have a large effect.
- Mark