Wing (cover over the wheel)

The name came from the wings of horse-drawn carriages (“wheelchair wing” ^[1] ), L. A. Chernyshov relates it to the Scandinavian borrowings (via wing ) ^[2] .

In British English, for the wings of an airplane and a car, one term is also used ( English ), but for the wings of bicycles and motorcycles, the term English is used. mudguard ; in American English, English is used for the wing of the car (and other vehicles) . fender (this word also used to mean bumper ). In addition to the concept of fender in the American automotive industry , the term English is used. fender flares . This is a wing extension that provides extra protection for heavily offset or oversized wheels. Flares are used on SUVs, pickups and sports cars. They are usually made of fiberglass or ABS to provide flexibility and light weight, however, some trucks and SUVs are equipped with metal products to provide better durability. Delivered either with the car or as an optional accessory.

In Russian, a bicycle wing is sometimes called a “shield” ^[3] .

In the design of the car, the wings are usually fixedly connected to the body; their size and location take into account the suspension travel and wheel rotation.

In most countries, legislation for the safety of others requires the presence of wings on cars that completely cover the wheel from above.

This requirement creates problems when modifying cars using non-standard wheels, leading to engineering solutions, sometimes borrowed from bicycles ^[4] .

In the Russian Federation, trucks should have wings installed over the rear wheels. The design of devices (fenders) mounted above the front wheels should provide optimal protection of the car from splashing with dirt ^[5] . For cars, the requirements are more stringent ^[6] :

• the wing should cover at least a sector of the wheel 30 degrees in front of the axis and 50 degrees in the back;
• the rear end of the wing should be no higher than 150 mm above the axis;
• the distance between the lower edge of the wing and the axis should not exceed two wheel radii.

In some US states, cars below a certain weight - 1,500 or 1,800 pounds - may not have wings.

On bicycles and motorbikes, the wing is usually connected to the wheel and “fits” it, with the exception of motorcycles for motocross , in which the wings are attached to the frame. Legislation in most countries requires the presence of motorcycle wings, sometimes only the rear, or only if the factory design included wings. However, popular modifications of the chopper and bobber often include the removal of the front wing.

The availability of bicycle wings is not regulated by law, road bikes usually have them, but sports bikes do not. Accordingly, in the countries of Europe where bicycles are used for movement, the bulk of bicycles sold have wings, and in the USA the ratio is the opposite.

On some scooters, the rear wheel is braked by foot pressing the spring-loaded rear wing as a result of the contact of the mudguard with the tire.

• Mud flaps
• Pontoon - a variant of the car body design, characteristic of many cars of the forties and fifties and formed by merged front and rear wings with a single top line.

• GOST R 52853-2007. Passenger cars. Devices for protection against emissions from under the wheels. Technical requirements.