Flexible wings 2011

[hardingfv32]

What is being illustrated?

Brian

[HampusA]

The flexing. Focus on the wing at top speed and then watch it rise up considerably as the car slows down.

[wesley123]

What is being illustrated?

Brian

With the topic title, what HampusA wrote in the post and based on the small vid I think he is just trying to make us laugh

[ianwit]

The flexing. Focus on the wing at top speed and then watch it rise up considerably as the car slows down.

You did well to see that all I could see was vibrating in sympathy with the bumps in the track. Isn't it the case that a flexing wing comes in to play under braking entry to the bends to give extra down force on the bends and not on the straights?

[HampusA]

Ignoring the comments above, who seemed to mis-understand the point of the video, probably thinking i thought i had discovered the flexing wing when it really was just a great video to showcase the flexing.

ianwit RBR´s wing ( i know other teams have these aswell but let´s go with RBR) flexes as the speed increases.

So the wing is at it´s maximum flex during top speed and as the speed decreases the wing will rise up from the ground.
Notice the wing at top speed and how it basically kisses the ground.
Then take a look at the distance from the ground to the bottom of the wing when the car is closest to the camera.

Sure there are some bumps but if you can´t see the wing rise up from the ground in the video despite watching it more then once then i´ll just stop the conversation here

[HampusA]

[raymondu999]

I don't see 2010-like flex TBH. You have to remember that the actual planes are actually lower than the central part; there's a "step change" kind of thing to the right of the "D" in "red"

[HampusA]

Yea that i never claimed. Nor did i want to say anything more then simply showing a video which showcases the flex of the wing.

It´s for sure not as much as last year, infact i haven´t seen much of it at all this year in the latter part of the "first" season.

I know the planes are lower, but that doesn´t change the fact that the wing touches the ground at top speed and then rises up as the speed decreases.

[hardingfv32]

This is strictly an illustration of the rake being used. Make a comparison between the upright and nose and it is clear that the complete nose section is rising in the last photo.

You bias on the subject is fogging you view of the photos.

Brian

[HampusA]

Rake? You got to be shitting me.

You do know that Rake if it was able to move freely it would actually push the wing down as the car hit´s the brake and rise when it accelerates?

If it would be the other way around it would be an active suspension.

[Richard]

The downforce will change with speed, hence the rake and wing height will change according to speed as the downforce varies.

I'm also with Brian, that video simply shows that the gap looks small in the distant with heat haze. Then the gap looks bigger when the camera zooms into the front wing while the car is close and at a completely different angle.

I'm not disputing that front wings flex, but that video doesn't add anything.

[simieski]

From the FIA perspective, would it not have been easier form them to enforce a regulation that stipulates teams must fit a skidblock on the lower outboard edge of the front wings, to sit a height Xmm above the track, which is not permitted to wear more than Xmm in a race? In a similar way that skid blocks are used under the car floor. I can't help but think it would have been a more effective way to regulate flexing front wings in comparison to the enhanced load test that was introduced some time ago. All this talk of rake etc affecting front wing clearance would surely become irrelevant if min/max ground clearances were enforced.

[Vasco]

This is strictly an illustration of the rake being used. Make a comparison between the upright and nose and it is clear that the complete nose section is rising in the last photo.

You bias on the subject is fogging you view of the photos.

Brian

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but something I don't quite get with running more rake is how they manage to get the tea tray to not hit the ground? Surely with the wing so low down as a result of the increased rake, the tea tray will be more prone to scrape the ground...

[HampusA]

The downforce will change with speed, hence the rake and wing height will change according to speed as the downforce varies.

I'm also with Brian, that video simply shows that the gap looks small in the distant with heat haze. Then the gap looks bigger when the camera zooms into the front wing while the car is close and at a completely different angle.

I'm not disputing that front wings flex, but that video doesn't add anything.

I guess i´m alone in seeing the wing actually rise up from the ground just after he hits the brakes until he passes by the camera.

Rake doesn´t affect the car that much and i don´t think the front is producing so much more DF then the rear that the front of the car dips down despite during massive acceleration.

[MIKEY_!]

Heres another idea: Springs inside the main plane of the wing, they could stop the wing from flexing during the 100kg weight test but above this the springs could allow much more flex. I believe Ferrari ran a similar system with their splitter a few years ago.

PS can anyone tell me on what part of the wing the load testing is done.