Motor Manufacturers are not known for producing boxes with a view to their positive aerodynamic profile, or to put it another way, this was an accident waiting to happen.
For those not familiar with the 'Theory of flight' I will explain.
If you take a cross section through an aircraft wing (or aerofoil) you will see that the top surface is more curved than the bottom surface (rather like the over-cab panoramic roof-light of a MH) and as such, the length of the curved top surface is longer than the length of the bottom surface, still with me? Good.
In order for the air moving over the top surface to meet up with the air over the bottom surface at the same time, it needs to travel over the top surface faster.
Now you remember back in those distant days in your school Physics Lab when you learnt all about 'Boyles Law' and you thought, 'I'm never going to need to know this'? Well, how wrong you were............now you need to know this, to understand why the front curved panoramic roof-light on your MH has the ability to 'fly'.
Still with me ? Good, then you will recall that 'Boyles Law' states that 'P1V1 = P2V2', where P=Pressure & V = Velocity. Now, taking 'Boyles Law' into account if the airflow or 'Velocity' of the airflow over the top ('V1') surface is travelling faster, then something has got to 'give' to balance the equation and what happens is that, 'P2' (or the pressure over the top surface), has to reduce.
So now we have reduced pressure over the top surface having the effect of providing 'Lift' and it is this 'Lift' that tends to make your Panoramic curved roof-light take flight.
As a final party trick guaranteed to amuse children (and most Motor-Homers) for hours, then next time you find yourself with a water tap, a plentiful supply of un-metered water and a teaspoon, try this.
Turn the tap on to a medium flow of water, pick up the teaspoon, holding the end of the handle as loosely a you can between your thumb and index finger, let it dangle, then slowly move the spoon carefully towards the flow of water, with the convex (or curved bottom face) of the spoon, until the curved surface of the teaspoon only just makes contact with the flow of water.......and note the result :mad1:
This Happy Motor-Homers, will hopefully explain the 'Theory of Flight' or to put it another way, why those Motorhome Designing Wazzocks need to think again.
This was an accident waiting to happen and if the manufacturers fail to either accept this or understand this, then they need to be educated.
Must dash, got to swing a prop, don my leather helmet and go to heaven and back before sunrise :dance:
Captain Biggles
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