4 ms·

What I meant was what if an F1 team of designers didn't have to be constrained by any rules and could build their dream F1 car. For example, there was one car a

by sanoli 13y ago

What I meant was what if an F1 team of designers didn't have to be constrained by any rules and could build their dream F1 car. For example, there was one car a couple of decades ago (I think early 80's maybe?) that used a sort of vaccum effect to keep the car sucked to the ground. It improved cornering speeds greatly, but the device was banned. I googled some and found this: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=598933&hw=++ultimate++F1&nmt=Perfect%20F1%20car http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=598933&hw... Couldn't find a link to the original article though. Pretty interesting.

lloeki 13y ago
> a sort of vaccum effect to keep the car sucked to the ground Ground effect[0], thoroughly used in LMP to gain downforce without suffering as much drag as with a wing. Here's what happens when the effect breaks down[1]. [0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(cars) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(cars) [1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIJ4q3PD57A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIJ4q3PD57A
Angostura 13y ago
Here's a BBC documentary about it from 1981: http://youtu.be/xxvcUnmBF8I?t=3m37s http://youtu.be/xxvcUnmBF8I?t=3m37s called Gentlemen Lift Your Skirts.
jsvaughan 13y ago
You might be referring to the Gordon Murray designed Brabham BT46 "Fan car": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham_BT46 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham_BT46
- sanoli 13y ago
  That's the one I was thinking about, thanks! From the Wikipedia article: "The BT46B generated an immense level of downforce by means of a fan, claimed to be for increased cooling, but which also extracted air from beneath the car. The car only raced once in this configuration in the Formula One World Championship—when Niki Lauda won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. To the dismay of its designer Gordon Murray, the concept was voluntarily withdrawn from racing again by Bernie Ecclestone."

by sanoli 13y ago

lloeki 13y ago

> a sort of vaccum effect to keep the car sucked to the ground Ground effect[0], thoroughly used in LMP to gain downforce without suffering as much drag as with a wing. Here's what happens when the effect breaks down[1]. [0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(cars) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(cars) [1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIJ4q3PD57A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIJ4q3PD57A

Angostura 13y ago

Here's a BBC documentary about it from 1981: http://youtu.be/xxvcUnmBF8I?t=3m37s http://youtu.be/xxvcUnmBF8I?t=3m37s called Gentlemen Lift Your Skirts.

jsvaughan 13y ago

You might be referring to the Gordon Murray designed Brabham BT46 "Fan car": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham_BT46 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham_BT46

sanoli 13y ago
That's the one I was thinking about, thanks! From the Wikipedia article: "The BT46B generated an immense level of downforce by means of a fan, claimed to be for increased cooling, but which also extracted air from beneath the car. The car only raced once in this configuration in the Formula One World Championship—when Niki Lauda won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. To the dismay of its designer Gordon Murray, the concept was voluntarily withdrawn from racing again by Bernie Ecclestone."