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[myurr]

Another idea is that with the new floor seemingly focusing their rear ends aerodynamics on the performance of the diffuser they are in the process of creating a more Williams or Toyota like extended diffuser that will in turn lead to more downforce.

If proportionately more of their downforce is generated by the diffuser than their rear wing then until they get that extended diffuser in place they could be lacking rear end downforce compared to the ideal setup for their car.

Hence the slow times.

[Sawtooth-spike]

Can we just go back to discussing whats new on the car and what it does?

All this stuff about is it fast or not its total speculation. None of use know how fast it will be. All we can really do is look at what they are doing and talk about the techinical side of the it (thus a technical forum).

In a few weeks time we will see for ourselfs if Mclaren have got it wrong or not.

For now all we really know is they have been trying lots of new parts on there car and lewis put it into a wall (numpty). I have to Agree with Myurr on one thing, I think Mclaren are testing stuff for later in the season due to the testing ban. Lets face it friday is not long enough.

Sorry to rant, I am just getting bored of this, Whole "is it fast or is it not stuff" cus we just dont have all the facts.

[kilcoo316]

Can we just go back to discussing whats new on the car and what it does?

OK.

(this is after two or three edits and re-edits as I ponder this... and may be subject to change until I bite the bullet and start meshing it!)

The hole in the floor.


I now don't believe is is there to work the diffuser at all - it simply doesn't make any sense at any level. Unless they want to vent the floor to move the floor aerodynamic centre back - but thats a very messy band aid fix and I think McLaren are better than that.


However, if the rear wheel stagnation point is underneath the floor level (rotating wheel, so its quite possible), along with the rather large gurney flap McLaren have infront of the rear wheel... then it is possible they are trying to make a localised wing at the floor level.

Due to the presence of the rear wheel and its local flowfield, the wake of this little floor wing will exhibit a very high degree of curvature in a positive sense. While enforcement of the Kutta condition at the trailing edge of the gurney flap will mean it (the wake curvature) won't exactly 'suck' extra air under the floor, entrainment effects could strengthen the bound vortex around the wing - inducing additional downforce that otherwise wouldn't exist.

So that little wing could be producing a higher amount of downforce than would normally be expected - especially considering the suction surface cannot be curved due to the flat floor rules. Best of all, its relatively free downforce as there will be little additional drag due to the presence of the wheel anyway.

[axle]

Can we just go back to discussing whats new on the car and what it does?

OK.

(this is after two or three edits and re-edits as I ponder this... and may be subject to change until I bite the bullet and start meshing it!)

The hole in the floor.


I now don't believe is is there to work the diffuser at all - it simply doesn't make any sense at any level. Unless they want to vent the floor to move the floor aerodynamic centre back - but thats a very messy band aid fix and I think McLaren are better than that.


However, if the rear wheel stagnation point is underneath the floor level (rotating wheel, so its quite possible), along with the rather large gurney flap McLaren have infront of the rear wheel... then it is possible they are trying to make a localised wing at the floor level.

Due to the presence of the rear wheel and its local flowfield, the wake of this little floor wing will exhibit a very high degree of curvature in a positive sense. While enforcement of the Kutta condition at the trailing edge of the gurney flap will mean it (the wake curvature) won't exactly 'suck' extra air under the floor, entrainment effects could strengthen the bound vortex around the wing - inducing additional downforce that otherwise wouldn't exist.

So that little wing could be producing a higher amount of downforce than would normally be expected - especially considering the suction surface cannot be curved due to the flat floor rules. Best of all, its relatively free downforce as there will be little additional drag due to the presence of the wheel anyway.

Although I couldn't put it into aero terms I too think this is about the rear wheel and using the floor to make DF in a different way...I was surprised that Scarbs said about the diffuser, but bowed to his knowledge...as I have little.

I noticed the detail level around that cut from the start but couldn't fathom it all out...

Your response is more in line though with my gut (un educated) instinct.

However I can't dismiss Scarb's comments either.

[mattclinch]

Can we just go back to discussing whats new on the car and what it does?

OK.

(this is after two or three edits and re-edits as I ponder this... and may be subject to change until I bite the bullet and start meshing it!)

The hole in the floor.


I now don't believe is is there to work the diffuser at all - it simply doesn't make any sense at any level. Unless they want to vent the floor to move the floor aerodynamic centre back - but thats a very messy band aid fix and I think McLaren are better than that.


However, if the rear wheel stagnation point is underneath the floor level (rotating wheel, so its quite possible), along with the rather large gurney flap McLaren have infront of the rear wheel... then it is possible they are trying to make a localised wing at the floor level.

Due to the presence of the rear wheel and its local flowfield, the wake of this little floor wing will exhibit a very high degree of curvature in a positive sense. While enforcement of the Kutta condition at the trailing edge of the gurney flap will mean it (the wake curvature) won't exactly 'suck' extra air under the floor, entrainment effects could strengthen the bound vortex around the wing - inducing additional downforce that otherwise wouldn't exist.

So that little wing could be producing a higher amount of downforce than would normally be expected - especially considering the suction surface cannot be curved due to the flat floor rules. Best of all, its relatively free downforce as there will be little additional drag due to the presence of the wheel anyway.

Although I couldn't put it into aero terms I too think this is about the rear wheel and using the floor to make DF in a different way...I was surprised that Scarbs said about the diffuser, but bowed to his knowledge...as I have little.

I noticed the detail level around that cut from the start but couldn't fathom it all out...

Your response is more in line though with my gut (un educated) instinct.

However I can't dismiss Scarb's comments either.

I have to agree, my first thought was that it was to reduce the amount of air forcing its way under the floor and into the base of the rear wheel and lifting the cars rear end up reducing rear end grip, where before the grooves may have lessened this effect by providing channels for the air to travel.

[kilcoo316]

Another thing that will be feeding into this is the increased curvature of the sidepod itself - that curvature means an acceleration zone which induces a lower static pressure area along the sides of the car... That *should* mean the pressure leakage from opening the floor (if done right) is reduced from what it would have been 10 years ago.


(As you know - air flows from high to low pressure - osmosis and all that)

[Mikacouli]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... new-floor/

Reads like a bad rewrite of my autosport.com analysis

I'm sorry, I didn't read it on autosport.. Now I did and yes its's better on autosport!

[chris.moden]

McLaren paint testing again....

[axle]

Barge boards and side pod winglets being tested.

[mattclinch]

McLaren paint testing again....

that's quite interesting.. the line of the paint almost looks like the airflow is being taken down by the sidepods INTO where they have the hole in the floor. are they trying to force more air under the car and into the diffuser?

the rear edge of the cut has a forward lifted lip on it, as if trying to direct more airflow down under it..

[axle]

Was about to post the same...



4 element front wing, massively trimmed floor, side pod guides, barge boards.

[myurr]

The rear end of that car is now massively tighter than the launch car.

[yzfr7]

that's quite interesting.. the line of the paint almost looks like the airflow is being taken down by the sidepods INTO where they have the hole in the floor. are they trying to force more air under the car and into the diffuser?

the rear edge of the cut has a forward lifted lip on it, as if trying to direct more airflow down under it..

It looks like an airfoil profile at the leading edge of the cut. It could be working (also) as a wing. Though it would be a very strange place to put a profile with all the turbulence from the rear tyre.

[bonjon1979]

Is the nose thinner, I can't quite decide.

[ESPImperium]

I think the mose look more rounder, more curved to aid the flow of air arround the nose cone and onto the sidepods.