9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:HowtheJudgesLearnaboutthisstuff

18April201207:06

HowtheJudgesLearnaboutthisstuff
Category:PatsCorner

Warning!Historicalstuff!
IamoftenaskedwhereIlearnedaboutthisracecardesignstuff.Studentswanttoknowiftheycanlearn
thesameway.ThesimpleanswerisNobecausetimesandplaceshavechangedandwemustchange
withit.
WhenCarrollSmithrecruitedmeasaDesignJudgein1998,IwasaVPintheFIAsKartingCommission
withresponsibilityfortechnicalmattersandmanypeoplethoughtthisexperiencewaswhatqualifiedme.
ButindiscussionswithCarrollduringmyinterviewwehardlytalkedaboutkarting,ratherwediscussed
whatIunderstoodaboutracecardesign,physicsanddynamics.
Iwasalwaysracecarmad.Inthe1950sinEurope,ifsomeonewantedtobuildaracecar,moneywas
shortanddonorcarswerebothdullandhardtoobtain.
IntheUK,the750MCfosteredthebuildingandracingofsimplecarsbasedontheoldprewarAustin7(750cc)andthelaterFord10s(1172cc)cars.
Theseengineswerelowpoweredsidevalveenginesattachedto3speedtransmissions,yetthecarstheypoweredwerefastbeyondtheir
specification.
Theseclassesfosteredahostofbrilliantdesigners,manyofwhomwentontodesignracewinningcarsinFormula1.ThinkofnameslikeChapman,
Broadley,Southgate,Terry,Philippeetc,andyougettheidea.Unfortunately,notClarke,Iamnotremotelyinthesameleagueasthoseguys!
Thishotbedofdesignwaslimited,moreorless,totheUK,solivinginIreland,IonlygottoseethosecarswhentheycametoracelocallyatWicklow,
theCurraghorinthePhoenixParkinthemiddleofDublincity,wheremydadwouldtakemetospectate(invariablyinthepits).
IrecallthefirstcartheintriguedmewascalledtheEmpireSpecial.Thiselegantlysimplecar,poweredbya750ccsuperchargedengine)literallyblew
awaymuchmoreexpensivesportscarslikeJaguarsandMaseratistowintheLeinsterTrophyracein1955(Iwas10andalreadyaskingWhy?).
TheEmpireSpecialwasactuallyaprototypeLotusMarkSix,forerunneroftheLotus7,whatwenowknowasaclubmancar.
RightisahorriblelittlepictureofthecarIfoundonDavidPipersFacebooksite.
TheusualFordspecialsofthetimehadabeamfrontaxlebuttheSixhadtheaxlecutinhalfandpivotedasswing
axles.Why?Iaskedandprobingandthinkingaboutit,Ibegantorealisetheimportanceofkeepingthetyresonthe
road.
Why,Iasked,wastheSixsofastwithsuchalittleengine?Oh,itsthesuperchargerIwastold,soofftothelibraryI
wenttolearnaboutsuperchargers.ThereIwasintroducedtothewonderfulworldofaeroenginesandwhytheywere
supercharged.Idevelopedasimpleequation(notfarwrong,eventoday!)thataproperlysuperchargedenginewouldmaketwiceasmuchhorsepower,
sothe750ccSixhadthepowerofa1,500engine,moreorless.
But,theJaguarDTypeenginewasovertwicethatsize!TherehadtobeotheranswersandIfiguredouttheywereweightandroadholding.Andsothe
roadtodiscoverywenton,pagebypage,lightbulbbylightbulb.Ialwayshadasneakyadmirationforthosesimpleclubmancarsthatofferedsomuch
performanceforsolittlecost.Theywouldcomebackintomylifeagainseveraltimesinthefuture.
BeingthereatthebeginningmeantIcouldwatchthedevelopmentofthesecarsandmyenquiringmindkeptmeaskingWhywouldtheydothat?An
examplewastheMallockU2carsofthemid1960sthatwerethefastestclubmancarsofthedaywhilestillkeepingtothesimpleformula.

https://www.formulastudent.de/academy/patscorner/advicedetails/article/howthejudgeslearnaboutthisstuff/

1/2

9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:HowtheJudgesLearnaboutthisstuff

Mallock U2swingaxlefrontsuspension
Mallockdidntsplitthebeamaxleinhalf,heusedtwobeamaxles,cuttheendsoffandpivotedeachhalfaxleontheoppositesideofthecar!That
introducedmetotheideathattheswingaxlelengthandthereforewhycambercompensationwhenthecarrolledwasimportant.Buttheswingaxle
lengthwaslimitedtothewidthofthechassis,sothedoubleAarmsuspensiongeometry.thencommonplaceonopenwheelersbecameeasierto
understand.Notasinwhatitdid,butwhyitdidit!
EachdevelopmentwasliketurningoveranotherpageinabookIcouldnotputdown.AlwaysIwaslookingfortheanswertoWhy?whichiswhyI
terrorisetheFSGcompetitorswiththisexactquestionasaDesignJudge.
Anotherpartoftheclubmandesignformulawasthecarshadtouseastandardrearaxleassemblyfromaproductioncar.Dependingonwhatdonor
carwasused,theusualaxlescamefromFord,TriumphorBMCcars.TheSixinWicklowusedtheaxlefromaFordvanandIsoonfiguredoutwhy.
Thataxlehadanoffsetdifferentialhousing,allowingthedrivertositbesidethedriveshaft,ratherthanoverit.Loweringthedriverloweredthecentreof
gravityandyetanotherpagewasilluminated.
Noproductioncarusedalimitedslipdifferential.InthosedaysIhadneverheardofsuchathing.Havingmydadhelpmefigureouthowastandard
differentialworkedwasatimeIrememberwell.Thatledmetounderstandwhysomecarsspunonerearwheelwhenaccelerating,butIhadtoask
myselfwhysomecarsdidnotsufferfromwheelspin,theyjustwentfast.
IrecallsubmittingaPhysicshomeworkexerciseshowinghowNewtonsthirdlawcouldbeusedinpracticalsituations,usingtheloadsintheradius
armsofaU2sportscarasanexample.Ithoughtheexamplewasbrilliant,unfortunatelyBrotherArnolddidnotagree.Ineverdidlikehim.Butthinking
abouttheproblem,Ibegantounderstandtorquereactionsandwentbacktothelibrarytoreadthoseaircraftbooksagain.Bigpropellersdostrange
thingstotheairframe.
<Backto:PatsCorner
Contact

Imprint

Privacy

Sitemap

https://www.formulastudent.de/academy/patscorner/advicedetails/article/howthejudgeslearnaboutthisstuff/

2/2