RE: Nissan DeltaWing: the full story

RE: Nissan DeltaWing: the full story

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Discussion

Ahonen

5,016 posts

280 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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sanctum said:
Quote: "...relying solely on downforce created by ground effect..."

Does anybody else remember the mercedes cars a few years back which ended up in the trees? That wasn't ground effects, it was front bumper winglets, but the same crest may be this machines undoing.
The problem with ground effect is that it's ok, so long as you have ground close to the floor of the vehicle, get a bit airbourne and it's all gone...
An impressive number of things completely incorrect there. Well done. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, which means you must be deadly.

arn22110

201 posts

195 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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MagicalTrevor said:
They mention about positioning the car for apexes (based on the back wheel width). This must be very unnatural and potentially prone to error?

My solution ('cause I know soooo much about racing and car design tongue out ) would be to have a laser attached to the car that would draw a virtual line where the optimum width would be. That would make it much easier to position.

And if you get cross with people then you can turn up the power and burst their tyres

Made the last bit up btw
I feel old! Back in the 80's Ken Hanson used to have a bomb site on the front of his CCM motocross bike!

Munter

31,319 posts

242 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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Numeric said:
It is intersting to think that it is the rules that keep cars looking a particular way.

I've often wondered if you let formula 1 off the leash what would happen in aero terms?!
I often think that it'd be more interesting if race series just set a nominal box that the car must fit inside, crash regulations, some rules to make sure they don't cook/freeze/maim the driver when being driven, and a fixed fuel flow rate or some other energy equalisation (joules per second?). Then let the designers get on with the rest of it.

None of this "wings must be here", and no radius greater than x, or no active aero. Do what you want. Fit whatever engine design you fancy and don't kill the driver.

binnerboy

486 posts

151 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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i thgiought this was an interesting statement

"But more importantly, it'll be affected less by turbulent air in traffic - a massive factor with 56 cars on track, even if the Le Mans lap is eight and a half miles round."

maybe F1 should have a think about generating downforce in ways that don't compromise the driver behind , or the driver behind isn't affected to such a great extent by turbulence potentially leading to more overtaking ?

onemorelap

691 posts

232 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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I really like this project and was initially disappointed that it didnt appear as the next generation indy car.

As many others i'm intrigued to see how this will perform at Le Mans. Credit to Nissan for having the balls to back something so radical, to the ACO for giving the delta wing an opportunity to show its merits and to highcroft for sticking with a concept that has bamboozled a lot of seasoned observers!!

One question that i dont think has been asked yet (and is asked in all innocence tbh!!) is:
How will the heavy reliance on under floor aero combined with the narrow front track be influenced by the part race track, part public road nature of Le Mans.
In short i would have thought the mulsanne would be crowned to aid drainage and most likely suffer from tramlining (however minor)from its more mundane daily use?
For the delta wing (compared to the more traditional LMP cars) would these undulations and inconsistencies have a greater influence on:
a. The effectiveness of the underbody air??
b. The level of input needed to keep the car on a straight trajectory / overtaking given its varying track front to rear??

Or are the inconsistencies / undulations in the road that minor as to make no difference??

Thanks.





tuffer

8,850 posts

268 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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If making the front narrow is such an advantage then why not go with a single front wheel using a wider tire? 10 inch tire, single sided swing arm type affair.

SoliD

1,126 posts

218 months

Friday 16th March 2012
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tuffer said:
If making the front narrow is such an advantage then why not go with a single front wheel using a wider tire? 10 inch tire, single sided swing arm type affair.
I would assume that the wheels turn at slightly different angles much like a London Taxi to gain a tighter turning circle, and thus able to create the turn with such a narrow front.

Gizmo!

18,150 posts

210 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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binnerboy said:
i thgiought this was an interesting statement

"But more importantly, it'll be affected less by turbulent air in traffic - a massive factor with 56 cars on track, even if the Le Mans lap is eight and a half miles round."

maybe F1 should have a think about generating downforce in ways that don't compromise the driver behind , or the driver behind isn't affected to such a great extent by turbulence potentially leading to more overtaking ?
F1 have been thinking about this for a few years. The rules brought in for the 2009 season - with wider higher front wings and taller narrow rear wings - were intended to do exactly that.

Sadly (for the regulations) the Brawn car (and others) found the 'double decker diffuser' loophole which won Jenson his F1 title and sabotaged the whole idea biggrin

Great Dane

2,725 posts

167 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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They have changed the nose with a dip between the front wheels and some adjustments at the sidepods - from the back it does look very unfinished

I am not keen on this particular design.


Why would they make a rather crude front tubular frame for the front suspension? Tubular frames are not exactly high tech

have they not got different underbody designs rather than put a panel at the front of the sidepod to regulate downforce. A few things look like a 'botch' job to me

Tango13

8,447 posts

177 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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Reminds me of a sidecar outfit. I hope it works as life would be boring if people didn't try new ideas and innovate.

J B L

4,200 posts

216 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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How do you get a reliable 300bhp out of a 1.6L engine? Even with a turbo?

Can someone explain what wizzardery's involved in such a feat?

Munter

31,319 posts

242 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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J B L said:
How do you get a reliable 300bhp out of a 1.6L engine? Even with a turbo?

Can someone explain what wizzardery's involved in such a feat?
Shirly 80s F1 cars were producing at least a reliable 300bhp from a 1.5 turbo.

J B L

4,200 posts

216 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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Munter said:
J B L said:
How do you get a reliable 300bhp out of a 1.6L engine? Even with a turbo?

Can someone explain what wizzardery's involved in such a feat?
Shirly 80s F1 cars were producing at least a reliable 300bhp from a 1.5 turbo.
Fair enough I forgot that. But weren't they stripping and rebuilding their engine after every week end or sessions? Did they even used the same engine over the whole week end?

24 hours at full chat seems quite a feat to me. Then again I could be easily impressed and it's not that difficult to achieve.

Just wondering really.

HowMuchLonger

3,004 posts

194 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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Munter said:
Shirly 80s F1 cars were producing at least a reliable 300bhp from a 1.5 turbo.
Reliable? You are somewhat pushing the definition of the word as they could barely last a race let alone an entire weekend.

groomi

9,317 posts

244 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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HowMuchLonger said:
Munter said:
Shirly 80s F1 cars were producing at least a reliable 300bhp from a 1.5 turbo.
Reliable? You are somewhat pushing the definition of the word as they could barely last a race let alone an entire weekend.
They were also pushing out four times that, and up to five times that in qualifying.

I'm sure they could have driven around all week at a mere 300bhp.

Munter

31,319 posts

242 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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groomi said:
They were also pushing out four times that, and up to five times that in qualifying.

I'm sure they could have driven around all week at a mere 300bhp.
That's what I was thinking. If it can do 2 laps at 1000bhp. Or 2 hours at 800. By the time it's down to 300 you'd think it should be pretty reliable.

moribund

Original Poster:

4,033 posts

215 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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My Smart car puts out a reliable 110hp from 698cc so 300 from a 1.6 race engine should be a doddle biggrin 300hp 1.6 turbo is the same as a modern WRC car actually so practically off the shelf performance.

shoestring7

6,138 posts

247 months

Wednesday 21st March 2012
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Munter said:
J B L said:
How do you get a reliable 300bhp out of a 1.6L engine? Even with a turbo?

Can someone explain what wizzardery's involved in such a feat?
Shirly 80s F1 cars were producing at least a reliable 300bhp from a 1.5 turbo.
Shirley you mean "Why is a 21st century 1600cc endurance racing engine only producing 300bhp?".

SS7

eastlmark

1,654 posts

208 months

Friday 23rd March 2012
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eastlmark said:
was that Erik Comas?
seems it was!

Great Dane

2,725 posts

167 months

Friday 23rd March 2012
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See what is written on the bracket that holds the car up for repairs... at least they have made a carbon front sub frame