What is a spoiler and what are its main functions?

Even if you do not belong to the world of motorsport and have never been fond of sports cars, you probably heard this foreign word and at least once thought about what is a spoiler? We suggest that you familiarize yourself with this concept in detail. So, the manufacture of spoilers began relatively recently, in the 60s of last century. They came to us from racing sports, where they play no less important role than, for example, the volume of the engine or brake discs. Spoilers perform the most important functions to improve the aerodynamics of the car, optimizing the flow around the body, thereby reducing the coefficient of aerodynamic drag. The fact is that when the car moves at high speed, there is internal resistance when air passes under the hood and above the surface of the body, as well as excessive front pressure and air discharge from behind, which prevents the car from developing the maximum speed. To minimize such phenomena, engineers have developed various types of spoilers.

To date, when we talk about what a spoiler is, we often classify it as an adaptation, like a wing. Although, according to Wikipedia, these are two completely different concepts. Wings are mounted on the body of the car with the help of movable articulated brackets, which allows you to adjust the "angle of attack". The function of the wing differs significantly from the functions of the spoiler. If the spoiler directs the airflow, reducing the resistance to movement of the car, the wing controls the clamping force, which acts on the rear axle of the car, thus increasing the handling and stability of the machine in motion.

Returning to the question of what a spoiler is, I would like to consider what their kinds are. So:

• Spoiler, which is mounted on the trunk, at the bottom of the lid or door. It stabilizes the load distribution along the axles of the car, and also presses the rear axle to the road at high speed.
• The so-called "skirt" of the front bumper (spoiler-lining), which allows the car to press hard against the ground, which significantly reduces power losses. In addition, the cover on the front bumper is also an additional area, on which you can install one more headlights, or make special channels for additional cooling of the front brake discs.
• The skirt ("skirt") of the rear bumper improves the air flow around the rear of the car, and also reduces the body's dirtiness (more precisely, the rear overhang).
• The spoiler, attached to the top of the rear window, improves the aerodynamics of the car due to the smooth flow of air flows moving from the roof of the car to its rear.

Now that you know what the spoiler is, you definitely will not confuse it with the deflectors (guiding the airflows along the rear window and reducing their contamination) or with the fairings of the side sills that improve air flow from the bottom to the side doors.

If you decide to install spoilers on the car, then choose the best materials so that they can serve you for a long time. High-quality spoilers are made of a material such as carbon fiber (carbon), which is widely used in the design of sports cars and racing cars. He is known for his strength and ease. However, it is quite expensive. But the carbon spoilers do not collapse as quickly as plastic spoilers. Also in the production of spoilers are popular fiberglass and silicone. The latter advantageously has a long service life.

Keep in mind that spoilers begin to function only at speeds of 80-90 km / h and above. That is, traveling around the roads of the city, you will not feel any effect.