Cockpit Safety

[KevlarUSA]

With two horrific accidents a week apart, what can be done to improve driver safety?
Would it be possible to add a cockpit bubble like an F-16s to the cars?

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dy ... fXYFS-5dyQ

I imagine it would be pretty terrible in the rain. Something will probably have to be done though.

[Shrek]

i was actually thinking more of a Lexan windshield to cover the front and sides of the cockpit and on every pit stop wipe it clean kind of like closed canopy cars(nascar, le mans) and when it rains put windshield wipers on

[freedom_honda]

This worth reading:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/07/22/c ... provement/

[kilcoo316]

Would it be possible to add a cockpit bubble like an F-16s to the cars?

I would imagine any practical solution would be more like this:



Only, there is no moveable canopy to completely cover the driver.




The instances where debris is an issue is at high speeds, therefore only the frontal quadrant is the danger zone. Hence an enlarged frontal screen would be of most benefit.

[KevlarUSA]

The future?

[ISLAMATRON]

I can dig it

[wrcsti]

http://www.motorplex.ae/images/top%20fuel%20news.jpg
that should be enough unless something falls on top of the driver.

[Ray]

The future?

Add some lasers that charge same as the KERS and I'd be all for it!

[Carlos]

Brabham BT24 - approximately 1968 - MonzaGP free practice(?)


Protos F2 at Nurburgring approximately 1967 (?)

Both of these were seeking an aero advantage, an updated solution; could be for both aero and safety.

[ISLAMATRON]

the heat build up in there would become unbearable, it should have some ventilation

[stl0]

the heat build up in there would become unbearable, it should have some ventilation

In that image the top of Nico's helmet does indeed present a startling likeness to a fried egg.

[Ray]

Could the little opening in the nosecones, for example Ferraris', be sufficient to provide adequate airflow to cool them off? I think something like that but only covering about half the cockpit and attached to the new cockpit sides that were made taller in response to the Wurz/DC wreck would be pretty damn good. You'd have something to protect frontal impacts of flying debris married with easy removal.

[ISLAMATRON]

Could the little opening in the nosecones, for example Ferraris', be sufficient to provide adequate airflow to cool them off? I think something like that but only covering about half the cockpit and attached to the new cockpit sides that were made taller in response to the Wurz/DC wreck would be pretty damn good. You'd have something to protect frontal impacts of flying debris married with easy removal.

It would need a place for the air to escape but some NACA ducts would do fine for ventilation, I also thought it should be connected to the cockpit surround, those seem to come off pretty easily regardless of the crash.

[Ray]

Could the little opening in the nosecones, for example Ferraris', be sufficient to provide adequate airflow to cool them off? I think something like that but only covering about half the cockpit and attached to the new cockpit sides that were made taller in response to the Wurz/DC wreck would be pretty damn good. You'd have something to protect frontal impacts of flying debris married with easy removal.

It would need a place for the air to escape but some NACA ducts would do fine for ventilation, I also thought it should be connected to the cockpit surround, those seem to come off pretty easily regardless of the crash.

That and you wouldn't have the danger of a failure of a release mechanism on a canopy and the pressure differnce lifting it off and either banging on the car rapidly endangering the driver or it coming completely off and hitting a car behind or it landing on the track and someone hitting it.

[djos]

Im going to repeat my post from the hysteria topic:

FFS, People die in tin-tops surrounded by full FIA spec rollcages in freak accidents - it's motorsport, it's part of the risk of being a top driver and F1 is no different!!!

Case in Point: Ashley Cooper who died of brain and internal injuries sustained during a high-speed crash at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide in 2008.

It was just a freak angle that he hit the wall at and it killed him despite being in a right hand drive car and the impact on the left side of the car + he was wearing a HANS device!