rec.autos.simulators

Bring back the slicks!

Av/Mikey

Hey. I'm a Mechanical Engineer so I'm treading on thin ice venturing into
the world of AEs, so cut me a little slack <g>.

Here's a couple of NASA's definitions:

canard

Pertaining to an aerodynamic vehicle in which horizontal surfaces used for
trim and control are forward of the main lifting surface; the horizontal
trim and control surfaces in such an arrangement.

fin

A fixed or adjustable airfoil or vane attached longitudinally to an
aircraft, rocket, or similar body to provide a stabilizing effect.
So, agreed, "nose wings" are indeed canard surfaces, and I believe that the
vertical surfaces that cap those carnards might be referred to as "canard
fins". Guess we need an AE to make the call. :-)

Hey. I'm a Mechanical Engineer so I'm treading on thin ice venturing into
the world of AEs, so cut me a little slack <g>.

Here's a couple of NASA's definitions:

canard

Pertaining to an aerodynamic vehicle in which horizontal surfaces used for
trim and control are forward of the main lifting surface; the horizontal
trim and control surfaces in such an arrangement.

fin

A fixed or adjustable airfoil or vane attached longitudinally to an
aircraft, rocket, or similar body to provide a stabilizing effect.
So, agreed, "nose wings" are indeed canard surfaces, and I believe that the
vertical surfaces that cap those carnards might be referred to as "canard
fins". Guess we need an AE to make the call. :-)

Hey. I'm a Mechanical Engineer so I'm treading on thin ice venturing into
the world of AEs, so cut me a little slack <g>.

Here's a couple of NASA's definitions:

canard

Pertaining to an aerodynamic vehicle in which horizontal surfaces used for
trim and control are forward of the main lifting surface; the horizontal
trim and control surfaces in such an arrangement.

fin

A fixed or adjustable airfoil or vane attached longitudinally to an
aircraft, rocket, or similar body to provide a stabilizing effect.
So, agreed, "nose wings" are indeed canard surfaces, and I believe that the
vertical surfaces that cap those carnards might be referred to as "canard
fins". Guess we need an AE to make the call. :-)

FYI it's BellSouth.net.

Frankly id like to see them allow innovation in F1.  I know they tried to level
the playing field but come on.  All the cars are practically the same.  I say
let the car designers do more like they did with the Tyrell P34 putting six
wheels on the car.  Those were the real glory days of racing (before all the
restrictions is what im referring to....pretty much 82 on back).  

I think the term can apply to surfaces that are used for aerodynamic "trim
and control" without being controllable as you suggest.

My recollection, though vague, is that "canard" and "canard fins" were the
terms used in the sport at the time.

Ben

Pulled out an old 1973 Colin Campbell book of mine entitled, "Design of
Racing Sports Cars" . Thought I'd share a little of it relating to car
aerodynamics, for you racing trivia buffs out there:

"Apart from the use of horizontal stabilizing fins on land speed record
cars, the first attempt to apply aerofoils set a negative angle of
incidence...was seen at the Nurburgring in 1956 when Michael May used one in
practice for the 1000 km Sports Car Race on a Porsche Spyder. The
scrutineers rejected the device as dangerous and the next appearance of an
aerofoil in an event of any significance was in the Can-Am Series [ what a
great follow-on series for GPL!] of sports car races in 1966 when Jim Hall
fitted a large aerofoil high above the rear end of the Chaparrel [sic
Chaparral] Type 2E.

As related by Hal Sharp, a member of the Chaparrel team, the need for an
aerofoil grew out of the instability of the car at its top speed, but the
use of the aerofoil to improve cornering power could have been in Jim Hall's
mind from the start. The adjustable aerofoil which appeared in 1967 on the
Type 2F was certainly used with a much higher angle of negative incidence
when cornering than when running at high speed...The angle of incidence
could be controlled by means of a third pedal in the***pit...Mike Spence
actually tried reducing the angle of incidence in the middle of the Mulsanne
Corner at Le Mans. The resulting slide convinced him that the aerofoil
really did work."

The cars certainly look very impressive.
Even the car shapes were changed, like the wedge-shaped Lotus 72
(side-boxes still missing, though).

But I wonder why the wings are all in white?
Some front wings look asymmetric (ha, again!?) to me.

Somehow, this looks as if the wings were fitted into screenshots
rather than being part of the car ... >:-> ... screenshots from
other angles could remove these doubts.

Another issue, independent from this car set: Why are the helmet
colors in GPL so strange? White helmets look grey etc, red is dark,
etc.

--
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Andy

Phil / |o)

Phil