Pretty simple project: add wind deflectors to the side of the windshield. The current windshield allows a huge wind blast to shoot right at my face. This isn’t a problem until it starts to get cold, then it actually gets hard to breath, especially in crosswinds from the drivers side.
I started with some corrugated cardboard and experimented with different shapes to get something that looked nice and promised a great degree of wind protection without compromising visibility. Once I was satisfied with the shape, I cut wings out of some Lexan I had laying around from my original windshield.
Cardboard mockup of windwing
The cardboard pattern was used as a template to cut the lexan on a bandsaw.
The brackets are 1/16″ aluminum sheet bent and bolted behind the windshield stanchions. The wings are held to the brackets using windshield adhesive.
3M Windshield adhesive holds the lexan to the aluminum brackets
Once installed the wings are very unobtrusive, but effective at very high speeds. They are very effective at reducing the effects of crosswinds in the cockpit.
The installed wings are nearly invisible, and very effective.
One interesting side effect noted during the first test was that the airflow around the rear deck now lifted and held it against the roll bar. I will have to add a more positive method of holding it down, rather than the velcro I was using.
I like. They look large and appear to extend outward quite a bit. How did you decide on the angle? Did you consider any sort of a hinged windwing as you see on many Cobras? I.ve also seen deflectors that hinge upward to deflect the wind off of your face/head. Any thoughts on that?
The wind wings are a little over 6 inches wide. The angle was purely guess work, but works pretty well. The thin aluminum bracket is adjustable (you bend it), I don’t think this is the sort of thing I will need to tweak frequently, so once the angle is satisfactory it is going to sit there forever.
This windshield design got me through my inspection and is not my final design. I plan another one piece design and will start to build it soon, it will look something like a Donkervoort windshield frame.