Giando wrote: ↑11 Feb 2022, 00:30
PlatinumZealot wrote: ↑10 Feb 2022, 22:14
The front flap is rigidly suported with metal fences coming down from the second flap.
It is not suppoorted from the end-plates.
Forces will always travel through the stiffest path (for equilibrium reasons) and the suspending forces are through the small metal fences hanging near the middle of the second flap, which in turn is directly attached to the nose cone.
Hi there. Thanks for expanding the analysis and sharing your view. Are the small metal fences really capable to sustain the main profile?
Yes. Assuming worst case they are made from aluminum. Yeild strength... Lest say 30,000 N/cm^2. Each fences is like 5cm long and maybe 0.5cm wide in cross section. That is a cross section of about 2.5 square cm. So each one can take 75,000 Newtons (~ 7500kg) before popping off.
The F1 engineers more likely designed them for bending and for stretching. But I'm just keeping it simple and usinging yielding. So the fences are squite strong.
Couldn't it be the opposite logic, so that the main profile will 'pull' down the flaps when flexing under load? Just an idea eh
It can do that yes if they can pass whatever flexi-wing tests FIA come up with. Drag will reduce but downforce will also reduce. Vibrations may also be problem. That is a long peice.
But just from looking where the fences are located, near the nose I can see the teams want the centre to be fairly rigid at least.