The Aircraft Trend in Body Structural Design 370131
STREAMLINING, introduced into the aircraft industry because of practical necessity, became a no less compelling force in automobile body design. Even though the power saving is not as great as with aircraft, it improved the appearance of the car, and people wanted it. And so a force as great as necessity mothered invention.
The body engineer must share the credit for the flowing lines of modern bodies with the steel industry for developing wide sheets of proper composition, with the press builders for producing the huge, powerful presses necessary, and with the ingenuity of the die makers.
The all-steel body is discussed, explaining its greater strength and stiffness and stressing its ease of assembly into complete units that can be transported easily to assembly plants.
Restraining factors in body design are given as what the public is prepared to accept and what it is commercially practicable for the manufacturer to produce.
Advantages of integral all-steel construction of body and chassis members are weighed against its disadvantages.
