Would this have worked?

Jimmy Magnusson · 2 Feb 2008, 19:01 (Ref:2119228)

I posted this in the F1 forum, but this seems to be a more appropreate forum for it. It is a concept sketch by Enrique Scalabroni from 1993 of a very radical F1 car. Could this have worked as a racecar, and could you have made it competitive?

AU N EGL · 2 Feb 2008, 19:42 (Ref:2119246)

Dont the rules state the car must have FOUR wheels?

Jimmy Magnusson · 2 Feb 2008, 19:52 (Ref:2119253)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Dont the rules state the car must have FOUR wheels?

It has four wheels.

AU N EGL · 2 Feb 2008, 19:57 (Ref:2119258)

I see three.

May be a look at the FIA Formula 1 technical rules will help you.

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/ru...l_regulations/

GORDON STREETER · 2 Feb 2008, 20:21 (Ref:2119273)

I think that wheels have to be on the same axle (not 1 front 1 rear ) like this design.
I remember this happening in the 60s with a guy called Owen Greenwood, who raced sidecars and decided that as long as it had 3 wheels it should be allowed. He had 2 in front and 1 behind using a Mini Cooper S engine and gearbox. It was successful and wasn't outlawed.
Jimmy you might have got it wrong, I would have thought that it was steered by the front wheel ?

Speedy1 · 2 Feb 2008, 20:37 (Ref:2119279)

in the context of the 93 regulations when the drawing was made ?
maybe
however there is a large differance between something that works and something that wins
being an open wheel series the covered rear wheel would be an obvious bug in the design
having the track width right at the center of mass might be useful

terence · 2 Feb 2008, 21:22 (Ref:2119305)

I dread to think what the porpoise effect would be like over undulations,front to rear ballance looks suspect. Perhaps a little less rear wing?

GORDON STREETER · 2 Feb 2008, 22:28 (Ref:2119339)

I suppose we will never know as it will never be built. It could be tried on a computer on trick software, but the real thing may well be a bit different on the track. The six wheel Tyrrell was outlawed before everybody would have thought that was the way to go (I know Williams had one)
Incidentally thinking back about Owen Greenwood his outfit actually had 4 wheels. The two at the back were very close together and were classed as one. He obviously knew the grey area's. F1 manufacturers today have probably got several people working in a special "grey area" dept that we don't hear about.

AU N EGL · 2 Feb 2008, 22:34 (Ref:2119342)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

F1 manufacturers today have probably got several people working in a special "grey area" dept that we don't hear about.

gachjoel · 2 Feb 2008, 22:43 (Ref:2119349)

this looks like an F1 version of del boys 3 wheeler reliant robin.

Small front wheel...not much there for acurate turning...poss understeer.
Air exit...dirty air mid way thru the car would throw out the aero.
Hot air exit..excess heat on the tyres....

Well it would make a good see-saw

can i have one for my grandson

Jimmy Magnusson · 3 Feb 2008, 01:03 (Ref:2119422)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gachjoel

this looks like an F1 version of del boys 3 wheeler reliant robin.

Small front wheel...not much there for acurate turning...poss understeer.
Air exit...dirty air mid way thru the car would throw out the aero.
Hot air exit..excess heat on the tyres....

Well it would make a good see-saw

can i have one for my grandson

Well, the one front wheel wouldn't be used much for steering I'd imagine, the sketch says that the hidden back wheel (1-2-1 config...) will be used for that. Would be quite odd to drive you would think!

Locost47 · 3 Feb 2008, 10:25 (Ref:2119580)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

F1 manufacturers today have probably got several people working in a special "grey area" dept that we don't hear about.

I know of one team with a group that's referred to as the "Regulation Circumvention" department!

'Allegedly', etc.

Graz · 3 Feb 2008, 10:42 (Ref:2119587)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

Well, the one front wheel wouldn't be used much for steering I'd imagine, the sketch says that the hidden back wheel (1-2-1 config...) will be used for that. Would be quite odd to drive you would think!

Maybe it's actually a funky new forklift design so?

Al Weyman · 3 Feb 2008, 11:14 (Ref:2119602)

Love to how they would have done a sub 10 second wheel change!

GORDON STREETER · 3 Feb 2008, 12:00 (Ref:2119618)

Looking at it again it looks like the sort of thing that Batman would have driven.
and the futuristic things we would have seen in the "Eagle"

terence · 3 Feb 2008, 18:01 (Ref:2119870)

What was "The Eagle" Gordon ??

ian.stewart · 3 Feb 2008, 18:20 (Ref:2119891)

Would be intresting turning into a corner with a rear puncture with the front wheel off the ground, or sudden deflation at speed of the rear tire would turn the thing into a high flyer, air miles anyone??

AU N EGL · 3 Feb 2008, 19:46 (Ref:2119961)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Love to how they would have done a sub 10 second wheel change!

They change wheels & tires in F1?

Guess some one did not think of that back in 1993.

GORDON STREETER · 3 Feb 2008, 19:58 (Ref:2119968)

Quote:

Originally Posted by terence bower

What was "The Eagle" Gordon ??

Yes Terry "The Eagle" not many on here know what we are on about

Al Weyman · 3 Feb 2008, 20:00 (Ref:2119970)

Sadly I do Mekon!

Dave Brand · 3 Feb 2008, 21:45 (Ref:2120038)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Yes Terry "The Eagle" not many on here know what we are on about

Sadly, I remember the first edition, with a free self-assembly card model of the de Havilland Comet.

L Ashwell Wood was a major influence on my choice of engineering as a career.

As for the diamond wheel layout, there was a car built before WWI which I'm pretty sure had that format; it had two seats, in tandem but one facing left, one facing right. I can't at the moment remember what it was - research will continue! It was also proposed, but never, as far as I know, built, by Gabriel Voisin for his 'voiture de l'avenir' in 1923.

GORDON STREETER · 3 Feb 2008, 22:13 (Ref:2120061)

[quote=Dave Brand]Sadly, I remember the first edition, with a free self-assembly card model of the de Havilland Comet.

Did the cardboard model have the same large windows and suffer the same fatigue problem