My go to video to explain just how important a low drag mini is, is a really old
National Science Foundation video. It clearly explains, in old school simplicity, the importance of streamlining. Something that most mini's ignore.
But the mini racer has a predicament. It needs to be basically crash-damage proof. The evolution in electronics and control fidelity has outpaced the frame design. I will say the Alien is probably the closest to break free the old 'flat plate boom box'. But it too is still stuck in that mindset. But it is also a commercially limiting factor. It's so much easier to design a frame of limited commercial success with simple cut plate.
But this is not rocket science for goodness sake. All that is needed for a real world awareness is a free hardware store yardstick.
Take one, cut in half to 18", take a drive in your car and stick it out the window flat to the wind, holding around 5 or 6" of it as a handle. Find the expressway and drive, drive, oh maybe 65-70mph and feel the resistance. Since a yardstick is about 1" wide, it closely approximates most mini booms. . .3" long x 1" wide of resistance times 4 booms, you'll have the
'beginnings' of an idea of what the mini is fighting at around 90-100% throttle. . . holding it flat to the wind, just as a quad is doing tilting its z-axis forward during WOT. Now, simply turn the yardstick edge-on to the wind and feel the striking difference. But I say
'beginnings of an idea' because the force you feel does not have the prop thrust added. This also does not include the bulky main body, which by the way can be loosely approximated by cupping your hand in the wind.
Try it. . . and I think you'll discover mini racers have a long way to go before the final form factor arrives.
