1970s F1 - airboxes
Discussion
There had been an earlier ruling about the maximum height of an F1 car being the roll over bar. The tall airboxes contravened that rule. Therefore, in 1976, it was made mandatory that the airbox could not be taller than the roll over structure. Consequently, the airboxes were either reduced in size, split in two and placed either side op the rollover bar or abandoned altogether.
With the arrival of turbocharging, airboxes were no longer needed anyway.
When airboxes returned in the 1980s on the 3.5 litre normally aspirated cars, they were tall again, but so were the rollover bars, which were incorporated into the airbox.
I'm pretty sure that modern airboxes more or less comply with this principle.
With the arrival of turbocharging, airboxes were no longer needed anyway.
When airboxes returned in the 1980s on the 3.5 litre normally aspirated cars, they were tall again, but so were the rollover bars, which were incorporated into the airbox.
I'm pretty sure that modern airboxes more or less comply with this principle.
Eric Mc said:
Why were they not featured on the turbo cars of the 80s?
Well, they weren't featured on some of the N/A cars either, I assume due to designers assuming not having the bodywork there was better than having an airbox, until windtunnels, CFD and engine design software brung back the benefits of resonance and the pressure increase from a correctly designed airbox.Both renault and mercs released pictures of their engine show substantial airboxes in place.
PhillipM said:
Eric Mc said:
Why were they not featured on the turbo cars of the 80s?
Well, they weren't featured on some of the N/A cars either, I assume due to designers assuming not having the bodywork there was better than having an airbox, until windtunnels, CFD and engine design software brung back the benefits of resonance and the pressure increase from a correctly designed airbox.Both renault and mercs released pictures of their engine show substantial airboxes in place.
The 1980s turbos didn't need them, it seems.
When the 3.5 litre NA cars came out in 1987, they WERE fitted with airboxes and they have remained a feature on NA F1 cars ever since.
How would they work in conjunction with forced induction - that's what I was wondering.
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