RE: Chris Harris video: Deltawing drive
Discussion
I am no trained engineer, but have built my own cars, but was amazed that I actually understood how the whole thing worked. Previously I thought it would just under steer into the nearest bush.
As to why it does not have a single front wheel, a couple of things occurred to me. First as a three wheeler I suspect it would be regarded as a bike not a car. A secondly even through the track is so narrow the car will still experience a degree of lean across the front axle in a fast corner. It the car only had a single wheel then the car would end up running on one side of the tyre whilst unloading the other leading to a loss of grip.
By having two narrow tyres and independent front suspension you would able to keep both tyres square to the road and therefore increase the grip, does that make sense?
As to why it does not have a single front wheel, a couple of things occurred to me. First as a three wheeler I suspect it would be regarded as a bike not a car. A secondly even through the track is so narrow the car will still experience a degree of lean across the front axle in a fast corner. It the car only had a single wheel then the car would end up running on one side of the tyre whilst unloading the other leading to a loss of grip.
By having two narrow tyres and independent front suspension you would able to keep both tyres square to the road and therefore increase the grip, does that make sense?
on an engineering marvel by Ben & Nissan. 320bhp but feels like 600bhp was really flat through them corners, would love a go myself.Really really like where Nissan are going at the moment.
They are by far, the most interesting 'normal' manufacture out there.
The GTR is a fantastic piece of engineering, they've opened up the world to professional motorsport with their academy, and now they've created and raced this. Hell, they've even made a race version of the leaf and put a GTR engine in the juke!
Anyone who comes along and says, 'it's just a Datsun' will hopefully be shot.
They are by far, the most interesting 'normal' manufacture out there.
The GTR is a fantastic piece of engineering, they've opened up the world to professional motorsport with their academy, and now they've created and raced this. Hell, they've even made a race version of the leaf and put a GTR engine in the juke!
Anyone who comes along and says, 'it's just a Datsun' will hopefully be shot.
Skylinecrazy said:
Really really like where Nissan are going at the moment.
They are by far, the most interesting 'normal' manufacture out there.
The GTR is a fantastic piece of engineering, they've opened up the world to professional motorsport with their academy, and now they've created and raced this. Hell, they've even made a race version of the leaf and put a GTR engine in the juke!
Anyone who comes along and says, 'it's just a Datsun' will hopefully be shot.
Well to be fair, Nissan just put their name on a car which was already designed and asked RML to make them an engine so they could get a high profile Le Mans entry without spending the LMP1 money. Clever marketing by Nissan though to make everyone think they designed and built it. They are by far, the most interesting 'normal' manufacture out there.
The GTR is a fantastic piece of engineering, they've opened up the world to professional motorsport with their academy, and now they've created and raced this. Hell, they've even made a race version of the leaf and put a GTR engine in the juke!
Anyone who comes along and says, 'it's just a Datsun' will hopefully be shot.
robmlufc said:
Well to be fair, Nissan just put their name on a car which was already designed and asked RML to make them an engine so they could get a high profile Le Mans entry without spending the LMP1 money. Clever marketing by Nissan though to make everyone think they designed and built it.
Despite coming in at the last phase, I think Nissan do deserve credit for looking at it and going "You know what. That works. We like it. We'll back you and get it racing." Any car company could have done that. But Nissan did.A superb piece of automotive engineering and technology, firmly launching a spanner in the face of conformity and ruffling a few feathers along the way it seems. Coupled with a down to earth lay mans explanation, and the fact that Ben is seemingly British, all puts a huge grin on my face 
Munter said:
Despite coming in at the last phase, I think Nissan do deserve credit for looking at it and going "You know what. That works. We like it. We'll back you and get it racing." Any car company could have done that. But Nissan did.
A fair point, without Nissan it would more than likely be sat in a shed getting dusty and looking very sad for itself as just another idea that didn't take off. DanDC5 said:
A fair point, without Nissan it would more than likely be sat in a shed getting dusty and looking very sad for itself as just another idea that didn't take off.
I doubt it, Delta Wing already had the Garage 56 entry and AMR tub long before Nissan put their name on the sides.Great car, great bloke behind it.
I've mentioned it before, but I had a long chat years ago with Ben Bowlby when he was still at university and he built a motorcycle engined special saloon Suzuki.
Watching that video his enthusiasm for the Delta Wing was just as infectious as for his car back then.
There were a lot of 'experts' saying this car would have dire understeer, would never be built, would never race at Le Mans, but I always knew that if Bowlby believed it would work, it would.
If it can finish 5th (with little development) at a circuit like Road Atlanta, I think all the 'experts' need to come back and say they were wrong.
One or two gems in here if you need reminding...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Clearly, they're not as clever as Ben, after all!
M.
I've mentioned it before, but I had a long chat years ago with Ben Bowlby when he was still at university and he built a motorcycle engined special saloon Suzuki.
Watching that video his enthusiasm for the Delta Wing was just as infectious as for his car back then.
There were a lot of 'experts' saying this car would have dire understeer, would never be built, would never race at Le Mans, but I always knew that if Bowlby believed it would work, it would.
If it can finish 5th (with little development) at a circuit like Road Atlanta, I think all the 'experts' need to come back and say they were wrong.
One or two gems in here if you need reminding...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...Clearly, they're not as clever as Ben, after all!
M.
Edited by marcosgt on Thursday 1st November 14:07
.moribund said:
Gorbyrev said:
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Could quite happy listen to that 50min episode. Please, please buy Ben a few beers and talk through the rest of the car. Faster than the P1s on the back straight with 320hp? As Pete Kay quipped about garlic bread "that's the future that!"
+1great video. is there any way we can get a full interview from Ben?
ADV
Its fantastic to see the Designer and engineers explanation of how a car like this works. It rewrites what we understand about how physics can be manipulated rather than bent. The most innovative thing i've seen in long time, forget all this Dyson vacuum cleaner rubbish this is real design work.
A credit to its designer.
A credit to its designer.
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