autogyro wrote:Simple question fellas.
If it is soooo simple even for 747 heavy to launch a race car manualy with a small carbon clutch, then why on earth do they need all this dual paddle stuff?
Hmm, now what could the reason possibly be?
An indulgence?
40 years of designing and devloping transmissions and clutch systems tells me otherwise.
I'll give you some reasons you might want two clutch levers....
#1 - simply to give the driver the option to use either hand to control the clutch, choices are always good
#2 - to allow a manual system of launch where one hand is at a pre-chosen bite-point while the other holds the clutch fully disengaged. An arrangement like this is not perfect, but within the rules and at least gives the driver a better chance of launching the car well than with one clutch lever
#3 - symmetry looks pretty
BTW - I have no idea how hard it is to launch a car with an on/off switch of an engine and a carbon clutch but I have experience with bikes (a little closer to this than most cars) and it's basically throttle position against bite point, with each changing as you start moving. I know that feel has been brought up with bike clutches - personally I don't THINK I use feel (I might), I think my ears and touch sense tell me what to do with clutch/throttle adjustment - and yes, I have started in the noise of a race you still sense your own vehicle's engine.
What this discussion is giving me is the realisation that F1 drivers are doing a terrific job of getting the cars launched at the moment as less than a third of the cars stall/wheelspin/burn their clutches - in fact nearly all of them get underway very well indeed.