rec.autos.simulators

I put the brake bias back (quite a bit) to brake faster because I don't
lock up the fronts; however, just move the bias forward say 55 or more if
you are spinning under braking.

My Eagle setup at Silverstone will spin easily under braking (but I use it
for racing).  Just do your braking in a straight line.

Correct, an understeering car is easier to drive but to go faster you need
to trail-brake (to get the rear to come around) or adjust the balance for
more front grip -- like my setups.

Try my Murasama / Monza setup.  It is quite easy to drive and quick :)

You said it!

--
--------
Jason Monds
"My other car is a Ferrari"
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
(Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

Just think how fast you would be in the Lotus if you drove it the way you
drive the Eagle.  I HAve doen a little online IP racing, and found that
most guys are still taking a hotlap approach trying to win every lap
instead of winning the race. I try to run a consistant race thru out and
that usually is the reason for winning, whether or not I am driving a Lotus
or a Cooper.

I would love to run ya tho since it sounds like we would have a very good
race on our hands.  I just need to get a better PC to run some heavy Grid
VROC races.

Dave Robinson

You if you like winning against opponents who spin and drive off the
track every other lap, thats fine. But I personally enjoy races where
big mistakes are SURE to cost you a win. And in those races, you have
to be one of the best drivers in GPL community to win in a car other
than Eagle or Lotus.

About Eagles - they are really not that much handicapped compared to
Lotuses. I have a replay from Monza (Lotus track, they say), where
Chris Cavin spins and then goes to put on a really good show - mid
1:28.5 laps with the best being 1:28.1 ! He had to slow down
considerably in ascrai to avoid hitting me, if the track was clear he
could have done a 1:27.8 on that lap. So yes, it is possible to beat
Lotuses without waiting for them to drop out or spin. Takes some
practice though.

Why not? I think you get a distorted idea about this due to the number
of people driving Lotuses. Most of them would not finish in any other
car. And those really fast could just slow down a bit and be really
safe. 1:29.0 at Monza or 3:21 at Spa allow for a very safe race, and
you will win against most opponents.

Well... that's why it pays to be in the front row :) But I agree -
everybody wants to have the best possible start, while it really
doesnt matter that much if you're in the middle of the grid. You will
pass people who are slower and will get passed by faster drivers. Some
tracks in novice mode are an exception, but I find it true in
general...

Not on topic but ...

I remember in a motor rebuilding class we placed an internal
micrometer transversly across the top of an empty engine cylinder - ie
pistons out and head off. The micrometer was adjusted so it was only
just tight enough to support its own weight. We then put one hand at
each end of the engine block and squeesed. We found that with just our
bare strength we could deform the cylinder block  enough for the
micrometer to drop.

Of course when the head is bolted on the block would be more rigid.
But even so I was suprised at how much give there is in what seems to
be such a solid item. These were cast iron engines I'm talking about.

I assume that an alloy engine block is even more deformable with
stress, though I haven't tried the same trick with one. I wonder
therefore just how much give is in the engine block when used as a
stressed member. However much there is it is no doubt taken into
account.

Just wondering.

Phillip McNelley

   Well, I take it the engine block in question was from a road car.
Race-specific engines
are designed to take that punishment, of course, but there are certain
exceptions; one
being the Sierra Cosworth unit, which got a reputation as a "chocolate
block", the RS 500
engine block had a really short life-cycle in GPA Touring cars.
But to the point; I have also been spoked by looking at the Cosworth
DFV-derived
engines; at a F3000 Car I've spent too many hours on, the engine is
mounted to the monocoque
with two small alloy plates on top front of each cyl. head, two 7/16"
bolts to the engine,
One to the chassis, and there's a stiffening bar at the bottom of the
crankcase.
Even more scary; on F-16s, which I've also done my best to keep in the
air,
an extra fuel pod is mounted below the fuselage, taking 1500 litres of
fuel, and
it is bolted with 4 1/2" bolts!!! Imagine the stress on tose bolts when
the pilot
does a 7G-turn...

Interesting topic!

Cheers,
Matt Knutsen

James

__

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remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

% >I pushed the Eagle for a couple of quick race laps (high 1:29's and low
% >1:30's) until my pit board showed a safe 5+ second gap between me and
% >the pursuing Lotus.  Time to ease off and preserve my lead.  This allowed
% >the Lotus to come within 2 seconds, so it was time again to start putting
% >in the 1:29's and low 1:30's.  However, the smell of my Eagle exhaust
% >must have raised the adrenalin of the Lotus driver, as he once again went
% >wide in the Parabolica.  Once again, victory to steady and sure, and not
% >necessarily the fast and sloppy.

% It really depends WHO you're up against. I am by no means the top GPL
% driver, but most of the times get 1:28.5-1:28.9 laps on Monza, with
% low 1:29s turning up after some small mistakes (clipping the armco,
% going too deep into corners etc.). I had a good race yesterday with Al
% Scott. After me getting pole with 1:28.4 and jumping to a good start,
% he was sitting on my tail for the entire race. He even did 1:28.5 to
% grab a best lap. But...both drivers (myself and him) drove almost
% perfectly and made almost no mistakes. After 11 laps we crossed the
% line 0.4 sec apart. Let me tell you, this replay is hot! :)

% You if you like winning against opponents who spin and drive off the
% track every other lap, thats fine. But I personally enjoy races where
% big mistakes are SURE to cost you a win. And in those races, you have
% to be one of the best drivers in GPL community to win in a car other
% than Eagle or Lotus.

I think you are surely mistakening me for someone else.  I did not
intend in my post to indicate that I "like winning against opponents who
spin and drive off the track every other lap".  All I was trying to
illustrate was that many of the "fast" racers out there, aren't really
fast racers, but fast hot-lappers.  The point is to go out on the track
and push one's abilities to the ragged edge only when required (and
certainly don't push it over the edge) and run one's own race.  Stop
worrying about the Lotus glut and learn to driver the car of your choice
to the best of one's abilities and the rest will come.

% About Eagles - they are really not that much handicapped compared to
% Lotuses. I have a replay from Monza (Lotus track, they say), where
% Chris Cavin spins and then goes to put on a really good show - mid
% 1:28.5 laps with the best being 1:28.1 ! He had to slow down
% considerably in ascrai to avoid hitting me, if the track was clear he
% could have done a 1:27.8 on that lap. So yes, it is possible to beat
% Lotuses without waiting for them to drop out or spin. Takes some
% practice though.

Agreed, the Eagle (and to some degrees all of the other marques) aren't
handicapped too much in the sim. The real handicap for any marque is
the driver.  However, take two equally matched drivers and stick one in
a Lotus and one in an Eagle and if they performed identically, I would
feel pretty confident wagering my money on the Lotus.  

Hmmmmm... Interesting thought...  Too bad there isn't a "ghost lap"
option in GPL.  I wonder if a perfect Lotus lap could be beaten by the
same driver in a perfect Eagle lap...

<snip>

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Perfect Eagle lap?  I consider my perfect lap to be one where I put the car
*where* I want it, *when* I want it.  Meaning I'm at the limits of my control,
but not OVER the limit.  To me that sounds like a reasonable definition.
Others may disagree.  Problem is, MY perfect lap seems to be a lot slower than
others' SLOPPY lap...depressing.

__

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remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Lotus is the best car in GPL and there's no argument about it. Eagles
can achieve great things though, when driven by really good drivers.