Hello and welcome to Car Talk on National Public Radio with us clicking

back the Tappet Brothers and we're broadcasting this week from the Center for

Rocket Science here at Car Talk Plot. Very close actually. Wow look at this.

This is Aletta from the NASA Lewis Research Center. Where are they? In Cleveland

up my one of my favorite cities. Indeed. Who is this guy? David Urban PhD. I mean

that's why I have to say any more. Doctor David Urban. Doctor David Urban. When

Doctor Anastas Pat called your show recently concerning a low-gravity

combustion question. Ah yes. He wanted to know what do you want to know? If

his engine and his Audi would run in in in zero gravity. Zero gravity right. I was

disappointed that he turned to you guys rather than the nation's

center for excellence and microgravity combustion and fluid physics. Well you

obviously didn't really want the answer. Located at the NASA Lewis Research Center

here in Cleveland. His question concerned whether his Audi 90 or his wife's

Mazda Miata would function on NASA's KC 135 low-gravity aircraft aka the

vomit comet. I can see it now. As someone whose area of expertise is microgravity

never even heard the word before. Microgravity combustion research and who has

conducted numerous combustion experiments on the KC 135 and who has also

occasionally driven a car. I believe I am especially qualified to answer his

question. While to my knowledge. No one has made a detailed study of piston

engine performance in microgravity. You will be gratified to hear that you

are response was largely correct. Since the fuel am makes an engine cylinder burns

very rapidly and the cylinders are small the combustion process can be expected

...