Aeroscreens are the small curved Perspex screens, period flyscreens, fitted in place of the standard windscreen on classic-MG roadsters used for competition, sprint, hillclimb and time-trial events. The MGOC range covers original-style flyscreens for early MG models, Plexiglas tinted clamp-on sun visors for MGA, and wind wings for the MGA windscreen, alongside the screens themselves. The aeroscreens reduce the frontal area of the car, lower the centre of gravity slightly, and provide just enough wind protection for the driver to see ahead at competition speeds without the structural weight of the full windscreen frame. The visual character is unmistakably competition, a classic-MG roadster fitted with aeroscreens is clearly built for purpose rather than for road use.
Construction and Visual Character
Aeroscreens are constructed as small Perspex (or modern polycarbonate) curved screens mounted to the scuttle area of the car where the windscreen would normally fit. The screen size is typically 150 to 250 millimetres tall and 300 to 400 millimetres wide, large enough to deflect airflow over the driver's head during competition use, small enough to maintain the reduced frontal area that the aeroscreen application is intended to achieve. Two screens are typically fitted, one in front of the driver and one in front of the passenger position, with each screen mounted independently to allow the cars to be used either with both screens (for cars with passenger occupancy) or with only the driver's screen (for full-competition single-seat use). The visual character is genuinely competition, the aeroscreens immediately signal that the car is built for sprint, hillclimb or track use rather than road touring.
Mounting and Removal
Aeroscreens fit to the existing scuttle-mounted windscreen brackets on the classic-MG roadster, the same mounting points that the full windscreen uses. The transition between full windscreen and aeroscreen use is typically a 30-minute task: remove the full windscreen from its brackets, fit the aeroscreens in its place using the existing bracket mounting points, refit the wiper arms to suit the new configuration (or remove them entirely for full competition use). The reverse change, from aeroscreens back to full windscreen, is similarly straightforward.
Some owners maintain both arrangements, using the full windscreen for road touring between events and fitting the aeroscreens for the events themselves. The mountings are designed to allow this back-and-forth transition without compromising either configuration.
Application and Use Considerations
Aeroscreens are principally a competition accessory, not appropriate for road use in any meaningful weather conditions, since the small screen does not provide the wet-weather visibility that the full windscreen achieves. For sprint, hillclimb, time-trial and similar competition events held in good weather, the aeroscreens provide the appropriate balance of reduced frontal area and minimal wind protection for the driver. The choice of aeroscreens is part of building a classic MG to a competition specification, and works alongside the other competition fittings, appropriate seats with harnesses, roll-over bar, exhaust modifications, fire-suppression equipment, and the various other items that take a classic MG from road specification to competition specification. The technical team is available to advise on the right aeroscreen specification and the supporting competition equipment for a specific car and intended use.