how can the bib stay (by itself) lower the front wing?
the BiB stay in itself was not a mass damper, but there are suggestions, that
the springs in the bib stay together with the ballast on the splitter, turned the
whole splitter into a kind of TMD - which is (at least technical) quite possible.
Race_Car_Engineering_spygate wrote:
McLaren contended that the Ferrari that won was illegal, and a letter from Stepney to the FIA sent after the hearing revealed that it may well have been, as it was in effect a mass damper. Such devices were banned last season as they were controversially deemed to be a moveable aerodynamic device.
Stepney reveals in detail the exact workings of the floor that was used at the race: 'The front floor is attached to the chassis via a mechanical hinge system at its most rearward point. The most forward support is a body with one compression spring and one tension spring inside which can be adjusted according to the amount of mass that is fitted to the front floor. There is also a skirt that seals the floor to the chassis, which is made out of rubber and Kevlar to help flexibility and reduce friction in the system.
'If the system had been allowed it could have meant a huge cost of development for other teams in such areas as chassis and under trays etc to make way for the provision for storing the system and the variable quantity of mass. The possible long-term consequences of such a system would be quite substantial because the system is in a crude state of development.'
some articles along these lines:
http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/753/
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/arti ... f2007.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A28655841