Flexible wings 2011

[myurr]

Unfortunately they're at subtly different angles so the comparison wouldn't be accurate.

[bot6]

Clearly, on the Red Bull, the whole wing goes down to ground level. Not just the outer edges.

[Joie de vivre]

Unfortunately they're at subtly different angles so the comparison wouldn't be accurate.

doesnt make a difference, just check the height from the ground, its almost touching it

[Dragonfly]

It would be great if someone made gif.

Which will be totally irrelevant and only be a reason for firing up fan quarrels over the net.

[raymondu999]

Clearly, on the Red Bull, the whole wing goes down to ground level. Not just the outer edges.

I'm not disagreeing that the wing is clearly running very low. But couldn't this also mean they're running massive amounts of rake?

[myurr]

Clearly, on the Red Bull, the whole wing goes down to ground level. Not just the outer edges.

I'm not disagreeing that the wing is clearly running very low. But couldn't this also mean they're running massive amounts of rake?

It could, but from watching the TV footage McLaren look like they're running a significant amount of rake so they're not going to be dissimilar.

[Hangaku]

http://twitpic.com/4df5oz
http://twitpic.com/4dfbx3

Form Darren Heath's twitter, same place, same speed.

Lots of work to do, because IMHO this is key, not the blowing of the rearend.

Great shout on the pics. I agree with the big difference in the front wing tech on the RB7 vs MP4-26. McLaren have clearly made a big leap with the rear of the car this w/e, if they want to make another one for the next race, it would make sense to concentrate on another area of the car. Look at both Hamilton's Q3 quick laps, he locked up his front right in both runs. Can they take the same approach as RB (given that they've been making very stiff front-ended cars these last couple of years and appear to have stuck to that form with the current offering)?

If a faulty KERS is to be believed, then Hamilton's brake balance was thrown out, possibly leading to locking the fronts.

[painkiller]

Hi,

I also think the wind is flexing again. from the onboard u can see the wing comming up everytime the driver is breaking. Here is a pic from Vettels Pole-Lap. one pic is full throttle the other breaking.


If that isnt moving what else...

[Hangaku]

What really drives me nuts is that they're looking at that since last mid season and still they don' boast theirs...come on guys, a little push further.

I don't know where people get this idea that a flexy front wing instantly means gains. It works for Red Bull, but it doesn't mean it's going to work with McLaren.

The front wing is pretty much the starting point of your aero setup, and we don't need a genius to figure out that the MP4-26 creates downforce in a different way to the RB7.

Of course, this isn't to say that it won't work either, but don't just assume that it's the missing link.

[myurr]

@painkiller - what's interesting about those two pictures is that there's only a slight movement in the right side suspension and none at all in the left, so it's not that the car is hitting a bump. That is clearly wing flex.

I wonder if it's something to do with the mounting mechanism. There was a load of speculation last year that the front wing adjuster was being used to tighten or losen a cable running through the wing to adjust it's stiffness.

Could it actually be much easier than that and they have a cable or equivalent running through the wing that is held in tension when the wing is not attached to the car but that tension is released when it's mounted?

Thus by claiming it's all part of the mounting mechanism they can run a different configuration on the car to when it's tested?

[tok-tokkie]

Painkiller, I think your pictures show the opposite. when the RB is far from the corner the nose is LOW. When it is close to the corner the nose is HIGH. The front of the car runs low at high speed putting the wing close to the ground. When running slow (even under braking by the look in your picture) the nose lifts.

During scrutineering the wing passes the clearance & bending tests.

The wing does not seem to droop at the outer ends in the front view picture (comparison to McLaren picture). It looks pretty similar to the McLaren wing - but much closer to the track.

[myurr]

I don't know where people get this idea that a flexy front wing instantly means gains.

Direct quotes from McLaren saying that the flexing front wing is worth 3 or 4 tenths...

[painkiller]

Its better if you rightclick and say show picture. I added 2 lines but a little to thin. in fullscreen you see both. i took this from a youtube video and yo see the movement EVERYTIME hes breaking. in my oppinion a non flexing wing shouldnt go up (reletive to the nose) when hes breaking. But he does an the nose doesnt move!! look at the pic in full resolution.

Between those pics there is 1 sec. when the right suspension moves he starts to turn into the corner (you see it at the steering wheel).

[murtoidf1]

What really drives me nuts is that they're looking at that since last mid season and still they don' boast theirs...come on guys, a little push further.

I don't know where people get this idea that a flexy front wing instantly means gains. It works for Red Bull, but it doesn't mean it's going to work with McLaren.

The front wing is pretty much the starting point of your aero setup, and we don't need a genius to figure out that the MP4-26 creates downforce in a different way to the RB7.

Of course, this isn't to say that it won't work either, but don't just assume that it's the missing link.

The reason people say the flexi wing is worth massive gains, is because it's even what the team principals said last year.

whitmarsh was quoted as saying its worth something like a second overall, as every mm closer to the ground is worth an amount of time i cant remember..


This isnt the same as simply bolting on a competitors wing... its the same wing optimized for the McLaren but working more efficiently, as its closer to the ground.

[Robbobnob]

Rake or no rake, there is a mandatory height the lowest part of the wing may be.

You have to hand it to the RBR engineers, through no mean feat have the accomplished this marvel of engineering.

Cant wait until they emulate the same effect on the Step plane or the rear wing (just a wish am too pissed to think about the viability of my suggestion)