Aero Screen & Wind Deflectors

[oz_speed]

Thinking of moving to an aero screen or buy screen wind deflectors.

questions 

Wind deflectors 

do wind deflectors work and if so how good, do you get much wind buffering, draught and wind noise

Aero

same question  as above really

Wife wants to keep screen and I want to go down the aero route 

all advise much appreciated 

[Neil220]

I've not got a Caterham yet but I've driven a Tiger with an aeroscreen for the past 11 years.

Very little buffeting at all, it seems to go over the top, and I'm 6'1"

I understand the buffeting comes at you from the side if you drive with a screen and no doors, there is none of this with an aeroscreen.

[Benton]

Aeroscreen plus eye/ear protection, and depending on how much you value it, head protection for best overall experience,though be prepared for the car to be filled up by road detritus 

[ScottR400D]

The aeroscreen is fine on its own as far as wind is concerned though I feel quite exposed so only use on track when I'm wearing a helmet. 

I've tried no doors with a full screen, which was awful, so stick to full screen and doors on the road. 

Haven't tried deflectors but would think if they're big enough to work effectively you might as well have doors. The air that's pushed out by the screen has to come back in sometime. I guess they'd cut out a lot of the buffeting you get with nothing though. 

[Benton]

The following makes interesting reading regarding effectiveness of wind deflectors

https://fernlahone.wordpress.com/2014/08/16/experiments-with-wind-deflectors/

[ScottR400D]

Some interesting stuff there, though I can't say it looks good and it must be awfully draggy. I think I'd rather have doors. 

[oz_speed]

Anybody run an aero and not use a helmet on the road and if so how do you find it.  Do you use any protection other than eyes. Do you find you get many stones flying at you or do they go over your head with the wind flow

[7 wonders of the world]

Lowered floors, Aero and half doors for me less buffeting the normal screen and doors.

[Benton]

I've run an aero without a helmet though I wouldn't say I was really comfortable doing so, I just wanted to try the experience.
You do get the occasional pieces of small grit come flying in, either hitting you or as mentioned filling up the car. Keeping a sensible distance from the vehicle in front reduces but does not eliminate the problem. 
The real obvious danger is taking a hit from something larger that could do real serious damage to your face or cause you to temporarily lose control of the car with potentially even worse consequences, though if you're unluckily enough to say hit a pigeon at 60mph I imagine the outcome isn't exactly going to be great wearing a helmet or not.

[aerobod - near CYYC]

The risk when using an aeroscreen without a helmet is similar to riding a motorcycle with an open face helmet. Here in Canada I generally will use a full face helmet on faster roads with two way traffic, I've taken a hit to the helmet from a stone the size of a large marble coming out of the tyre tread of a vehicle going in the opposite direction, closing speed to my head of 240km/h or so and a mark on the helmet.

Bees, wasps and other larger insects can hurt a bit at higher speeds, but no different than the open face helmet scenario on a motorcycle. On divided roads and around the city I often drive the car with just eye protection and usually a baseball cap to keep my hair in place, stays on up to 130km/h if there isn't a strong and gusty side wind.

Open top whether aeroscreen or windscreen always can add to the detritus ending up in the car. The worst and funniest incident I had was with my BMW Z4M when approaching a farm truck and trailer that had just pulled on to a divided road and was slowly accelerating. As I was moving out to pass him a big arcing clod of grass and cow dung lifted in to the air over the top of my windscreen and landed and exploded on the light coloured leather of the back of my passenger seat, took a bit of cleaning to get it all out. Just as well SWMBO wasn't in the car for that trip.