So, enlighten us... How is a "rolling road wind tunnel" better? Better understanding of the air going under the car?

 

Someone had some pretty good solid works models, if I recall...

Getting ahold of one of those models, then working with a rapid prototyper to make it out of either paper or on a 3D printer would be the way to go.

You could then take that model and vacuum form thin lexan R/C car bodies off of it (or lay something up in fiberglass...)

 

Yep, management of the air under the car is a very important issue.

 

In your model, are you going to have the underside of the car accurately represented?

You may be able to put a car on the lift and use the "steroscopic" method underneith to get a 3D map - this is using two cameras a fixed distance apart - like the human eyes.

Good luck, I'd love to know what your results are!

 

I could work on a model in Solidworks or ProE but I would need measurements and it would take me some time

 

Careful, undertrays on the Lemans cars made them fly off the track.

 

Anyone know what became of Rich Sandor's petition for a 1:18 model from a reputed manufacturer?

 

You mean the CLK-GTRs? Wasn't that more due to the fact that their front wing was actually generating lift, not downforce? (I remember there was a number of excuses before they finally admitted this)

 

I found one thread about computer models: https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/369278-944-3d-model.html

I remember another one that had a green computer model... but I can't find the thread.

 

Yep, but only to a limited degree for use as a starting point, underbody mods will be tested.

 

It was actually due to a lack of full length venturis designed to compensate for pitch variations. The car had uber-close proximity to the road from the nose back to the tail. A couple fast pitch changes on Road Atlanta (IIRC) got the tails touching, and the noses just off the pavement... and thus the car became a lifting body and had a nonstop flight to pain.


...and they didn't even serve the passengers peanuts.

Atrocious.

 

I saw the CLK flight at LeMans and the Porsche GT1 at Road Atlanta....pretty much the same thing happened. Poor drivers, their heart must have stopped for a second ! No significant injuries for them though.

 

What I thought was cool was when the GT1 landed tail first and almost recovered. Can you imagine the publicity around that "flight" if the car got back on all 4 and the driver recovered it??

 

That would have been amazing but even if the car landed on it's tires there is no way it would have been drivable. Also landing tail first absorbed much of the impact. Had it landed flat I am not sure the driver would have survived. The safety devices were designed to protect from a side, front, back, and even top impact but not at all designed for the level of downward G forces the driver would have been subjected to.

 

Yeah, but think of all the perfect '10's he would have got on the scorecards!