[video] Colin Chapman (incl. Team Lotus)
Geplaatst: 16 aug 2010, 13:24
For ever and a day
For ever and a day
Father of the ground effect
Chapman, working with Tony Rudd and Peter Wright, pioneered the first Formula One use of "ground effect", where a partial vacuum was created under the car by use of venturis, generating suction (downforce) which held it securely to the road whilst cornering. Modern Formula One cars generate enough downforce (now generated by wings instead of ground effects) that they could theoretically be driven on a ceiling once they reach about 100 mph. Initially this technique utilized sliding "skirts" which made contact with the ground to keep the area of low pressure isolated. Chapman's next development was a car that generated all of its downforce through ground effects, eliminating wings and the drag that they introduce at high speed. However, skirts were eventually banned, because the skirt could be damaged, for example, from driving over a curb, and downforce would be lost and the car could then become unstable.
For ever and a day
Father of the ground effect
Chapman, working with Tony Rudd and Peter Wright, pioneered the first Formula One use of "ground effect", where a partial vacuum was created under the car by use of venturis, generating suction (downforce) which held it securely to the road whilst cornering. Modern Formula One cars generate enough downforce (now generated by wings instead of ground effects) that they could theoretically be driven on a ceiling once they reach about 100 mph. Initially this technique utilized sliding "skirts" which made contact with the ground to keep the area of low pressure isolated. Chapman's next development was a car that generated all of its downforce through ground effects, eliminating wings and the drag that they introduce at high speed. However, skirts were eventually banned, because the skirt could be damaged, for example, from driving over a curb, and downforce would be lost and the car could then become unstable.