In rec.aviation.piloting Dan Luke wrote:

"Charles Vincent" wrote:

Just because it is not noticeable, or measurable by the lack of sensitivity
with the instrument you are currently not using, does not mean that it does
not exist.

More weight on the bearings will cause more rolling resistance. That is
fact, not open to dispute. If you say it is, I want to buy the rights to
the bearings you are using, so I can patent them and make a fortune.

If a bird craps on your windshield, it is more likely to noticeably
influence your aerodynamic drag than rolling resistance.....I took Jim's
"can't be found" to mean lost in the noise. According to SAE studies,
aerodynamic drag accounts for 60% of the resistance that must be overcome
for highway cruise, with tires being 25% and driveline friction making up
the last 15%.

Pardon the intrusion on this interesting discussion, but just how *does* added
weight in a car impose extra load on the powerplant besides via bearing
friction and tire deformation?

It takes more power to accelerate the car to cruise speed in a given time.

F=ma

Added weight means the powerplant is doing more work to maintain the same
speed; there's no way around it, the laws of physics demand it. So where's
the extra power going?

Ummm, no, quite the opposite.

The laws of physics say once an object is in motion it takes no energy
to maintain the velocity UNLESS there is some other force at work
that would cause the velocity to decrease.

Since at a constant speed, the a in F=ma is zero, the force is zero
no matter the mass.

Once at speed in a car (or airplane or rocket ship) the only energy
needed to maintain speed is that equal to any drag forces that
would otherwise slow the car down.

Have you looked at the current crop of high mileage cars?

They all have very aerodynamic profiles to get the air drag down.

--
Jim Pennino

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