McLaren MP4-29 Mercedes

[daveyrace]

As Blanchimont illustrated so well they do indeed look like a bell shape. With an almost vertical lip on them which shows up darker on the picture. They look to have quite a complex/changing shape across their length, It wold be interesting to see if the bottom ones were a different shape to the top.

There also appears to be a hole/slot through the wishbone at the outer end of the flaps which I have highlighted with an arrow.

[avatar]

Maybe the flaps twist into a more horizontal position at high speed.

That would be moveable aero.

Maybe the wings twist backwards some degrees as the downforce puts pressure on the suspension. I think such a twisting motion would not be hard to build in to the suspension compression. This would also pass the FIA load tests because it's not actually flexing. There would be no way for this to be tested.

I'd guess this is already part of the geometry considerations when using the shrouding for aero benefit; use 5°at rest, then flatten out when the suspension compresses under rear wing load at speed, with cornering meaning the inner arms reach>5° while the outer arms flatten out...

[boson]

So they are symmetrical and "aero neutral" on their own, but stack them close together and they aren't?
I hope this works out as a good solution, I am a bit of a mclaren fan and would like to see them have a good season challenging for the title

[danielk]

Wasnt there talk of Mclaren working on some revolutionary suspension system? could this be it, that it makes the suspension arms turn at certain loads on the suspension? when the front gets loaded up the back gets lighter as it does the arms twist creating down force generators?

Probably way off the mark but just a thought

[avatar]

But that has to be a movable aero device , which is illegal

But all suspension shrouding moves as the suspension flexes, but it's permitted in the rules..?

Plus if it's in a grey area, it's normally only illegal if it fails a set test, or a directive is issued. As per wing flexing etc.

[NathanOlder]

But that has to be a movable aero device , which is illegal

But all suspension shrouding moves as the suspension flexes, but it's permitted in the rules..?

Good point.

[danielk]

well well well this was from 6th Jan

http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/commen ... _the_beam/

[Avocado]

http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 665.59.jpg

http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 666.03.jpg


http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 672.79.jpg

http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 673.71.jpg

http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 677.24.jpg

http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 674.36.jpg
http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 675.88.jpg
http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 676.65.jpg
http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 689.17.jpg
http://www.formule1.nl/media/uploads/me ... 689.77.jpg

It looks soooooo good.

[Gusgus]

Those rear wishbones could easily be deemed to have an "aerodynamic influence", and therefore, as article 3.15 states, "must comply with the rules relating to bodywork", which they do not.

[acosmichippo]

but is suspension considered "bodywork"?

[avatar]

Those rear wishbones could easily be deemed to have an "aerodynamic influence", and therefore, as article 3.15 states, "must comply with the rules relating to bodywork", which they do not.

But aren't there specific exemptions (wheel/tyre,brake ducts,the nut behind the wheel, suspension/steering elements, driveshafts)

[McG]

I'd guess this is already part of the geometry considerations when using the shrouding for aero benefit; use 5°at rest, then flatten out when the suspension compresses under rear wing load at speed, with cornering meaning the inner arms reach>5° while the outer arms flatten out...[/quote]

Yeah I agree this is what could be happening. In the first pictures I thought they were just flat panels, now seeing that they are a complex shape could really mean big downforce gains. Also I think I read that there will be more movement in the suspension to deal with the higher torque? That would give some more scope for getting these things into the desired angle under load.

[daveyrace]

They look almost like paddles, the lower one is definitely a different shape to the upper.


That article says that they produced more standard arms in tandem to run at the Jerez test. If Mclaren are the only team with suspension arms that far back then surely this solution may not work as well for the other teams if at all. Perhaps Mclaren have run with it from the start because they know the other teams will not be able to integrate this solution on their cars. They don't need to hide it.

[danielk]

omicorse was the original report for this back on the 5th January 2014:

Venetian blinds they say

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/33579/ ... lla-mp4-29

[motobaleno]

anyway the beneficial effects of this venetian blind should be pretty big because for sure they cause a non negligible drag