What is a NACA air inlet?
10/14/2014
These triangular air intakes, which are referred to in the literature as "NACA" air intakes (NACA duct or NACA inlet), can be seen again and again on sports and, above all, racing cars.
They go back to aerodynamic developments made by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a forerunner of NASA, in the mid-1940s for high-speed jet aircraft.
The aim was to get sufficient cooling air into the interior of the aircraft at high speeds without significantly increasing drag.
After many trials and experiments, the result was the inwardly curved shape of the inlet, which is also wider in the direction of the air flow.
It seems to work, because the NACA intake is still very popular with sports car and racing car manufacturers today. The Ferrari F40 (pictured above) is a prime example.
If you enjoy recognizing cars by their air intakes, take a look at our latest quiz "Air for technology and drivers " .
