Active rear wing
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 1
From: Detroit, WA
Originally Posted by S2Kretard,Aug 17 2008, 12:11 AM
Needs a faster track to really show what it can do...
That just came out... results say a about a 2.4 second difference. Looks like it works?
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 3
From: St. Louis
Interesting that I was just talking about some active wings with the MIT FSAE team a couple of years ago and now someone in the aero lab comes up with this 
It's still not the whole of the idea I had, but pretty close.
Oh well, good for somebody doing something about it instead of just me sitting on my butt
As a side note, only powered ground affects have been banned in FSAE so far. All other active aero is fair game. Fortunately, an autocross course is about the only place I would feel comfortable driving an active aero car. As Mike and others have mentioned, this technology has a long history, one that is particularly bloody. These devices can be very powerful, leading to speeds much higher than the car can cope with when they suddenly fail.
It's still not the whole of the idea I had, but pretty close.Oh well, good for somebody doing something about it instead of just me sitting on my butt
As a side note, only powered ground affects have been banned in FSAE so far. All other active aero is fair game. Fortunately, an autocross course is about the only place I would feel comfortable driving an active aero car. As Mike and others have mentioned, this technology has a long history, one that is particularly bloody. These devices can be very powerful, leading to speeds much higher than the car can cope with when they suddenly fail.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
that was the coolest, most usless thing ive ever seen!
do you guys know how much drag a wing like that produces at 100mph?
Ill give you all a start. say that wing makes 200lbs of downforce at 100mph
Take a guess what the drag forces will be.
By the way, that was an insane angle of attack when the wing was at full tilt. It might have been only usefull for an air brake rather than downforce. past 15degrees, you usually get into the stall range. The angle is more than what shows on a level. its what the wing sees as the air comes off the roof line, unless it is way above this area, which this one is not.
Very very cool though!! that was entertaining
However, miatas run 2:08 all day long with 100hp and no aero and pinner tires.
mk
do you guys know how much drag a wing like that produces at 100mph?
Ill give you all a start. say that wing makes 200lbs of downforce at 100mph
Take a guess what the drag forces will be.
By the way, that was an insane angle of attack when the wing was at full tilt. It might have been only usefull for an air brake rather than downforce. past 15degrees, you usually get into the stall range. The angle is more than what shows on a level. its what the wing sees as the air comes off the roof line, unless it is way above this area, which this one is not.
Very very cool though!! that was entertaining
However, miatas run 2:08 all day long with 100hp and no aero and pinner tires.
mk
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 22,888
Likes: 3
From: Covington WA, USA
Originally Posted by ole p car,Oct 6 2008, 05:33 PM
do you guys know how much drag a wing like that produces at 100mph?
Ill give you all a start. say that wing makes 200lbs of downforce at 100mph
Ill give you all a start. say that wing makes 200lbs of downforce at 100mph
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 11,119
Likes: 47
From: Wildwood, TN.
Originally Posted by mikegarrison,Aug 14 2008, 12:20 PM
I hate it when people don't know history. The very first wings on race cars worked like this, but they didn't need any fancy computerized servos.
Chapparal was doing this back on their cars in the 60s. They had the wing set up spring-loaded. When they were on the straights, the driver placed his left foot on a lever that held the wing in a no-lift position. When he went to brake for a corner, he used his left foot for braking and so the wing snapped out into high lift/drag. Once back on the straight after the corner, he just covered the wing pedal again, and the wing came back into the low drag position. (The cars were automatics, so no clutch was involved.) It worked so well it got banned.
The also had the wings directly connected to the rear suspension instead of forcing the load to go through the springs. Likewise banned. Expect to see that soon as another great "innovation"....
Chapparal was doing this back on their cars in the 60s. They had the wing set up spring-loaded. When they were on the straights, the driver placed his left foot on a lever that held the wing in a no-lift position. When he went to brake for a corner, he used his left foot for braking and so the wing snapped out into high lift/drag. Once back on the straight after the corner, he just covered the wing pedal again, and the wing came back into the low drag position. (The cars were automatics, so no clutch was involved.) It worked so well it got banned.
The also had the wings directly connected to the rear suspension instead of forcing the load to go through the springs. Likewise banned. Expect to see that soon as another great "innovation"....
driven fans that sucked it down to the track surface.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 22,888
Likes: 3
From: Covington WA, USA
OK, so I looked at the video. They claim those are average laps and that the driver was consistant, but they don't give us the data to judge that for sure. Also, these things are never "double-blind" -- tha driver always knows what config the car is in, and that can bias things.
But let's say it was as straight-up as possible. They still didn't show us whether or not all this split wing stuff is any better than an unsplit wing. For the most part I would think you either want downforce or you don't. I don't know why they think you want that differential lift.
But let's say it was as straight-up as possible. They still didn't show us whether or not all this split wing stuff is any better than an unsplit wing. For the most part I would think you either want downforce or you don't. I don't know why they think you want that differential lift.