kamm back

It was once thought that a long tapered end in the shape of a vehicle would give it the most aerodynamic configuration. W. Kamm discovered that the length of the end would have to be so long as to make the vehicle impractical. There would also be an increase in surface area which would also create its own frictiondrag. He found that if he cut the theoretically long tail in half he would have both good aerodynamics and minimal surface drag. This sharply cut off rear end is named after him.