Delta wing car concept

[skgoa]

DeltaWing won't return, since it's not conforming to any of the sets of regulations for the different classes. Its place as "special entry" was only for one year.

[RB7ate9]

DeltaWing won't return, since it's not conforming to any of the sets of regulations for the different classes. Its place as "special entry" was only for one year.

That is a terribly wasted opportunity for everyone.

[mx_tifoso]

Ouch, the head protection doesn't seem sufficient by any means.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW7qaG9K2_c[/youtube]

[FW17]

Ouch, the head protection doesn't seem sufficient by any means.

5th fastest in open testing. That car was just flying past that LMP

[skgoa]

DeltaWing won't return, since it's not conforming to any of the sets of regulations for the different classes. Its place as "special entry" was only for one year.

That is a terribly wasted opportunity for everyone.

Why? It has only proved what we already knew: 1) weight is a huge factor in vehicle dynamics and 2) when you don't have to adhere to any rules, it's easy to build a quick car.

[wesley123]

Ouch, the head protection doesn't seem sufficient by any means.

Luckily there just was grass everywhere and mostly flat, if there qould have been a kerb anywhere he wouldnt have been so lucky.

[Jersey Tom]

DeltaWing won't return, since it's not conforming to any of the sets of regulations for the different classes. Its place as "special entry" was only for one year.

That is a terribly wasted opportunity for everyone.

Why? It has only proved what we already knew: 1) weight is a huge factor in vehicle dynamics and 2) when you don't have to adhere to any rules, it's easy to build a quick car.

Completely agree. Personally I think what was a waste was going about making the car in the first place. It's different and an interesting concept... but so what? So is the Tyrrell P34.

And indeed the lack of driver head protection in rollover is pretty scary.

[RB7ate9]

Why? It has only proved what we already knew: 1) weight is a huge factor in vehicle dynamics and 2) when you don't have to adhere to any rules, it's easy to build a quick car.

Completely agree. Personally I think what was a waste was going about making the car in the first place. It's different and an interesting concept... but so what? So is the Tyrrell P34.

And indeed the lack of driver head protection in rollover is pretty scary.

If this is, indeed, the sentiment, than by all means we should remove WEC, because we already know everything we need to know about vehicles. The deltawing is a new design that suggests a different path for racing cars that has been proven to be fast, if not faster, than the other cars comparable in class. It is something different, something that many fans have bemoaned as LMP1 cars all are coupes now. What is the point in running anything other than a typical coupe LMP, then?

What was also different? Fan cars. Ground effects. Wings. Turbos. Carbon Fiber. Frankly, if the response to a new, interesting, and effective, race car is "so what?" then there are some other racing series that are better suited to that kind of mentality (DTM, NASCAR, Indy, WRC, GP2, and other spec-series).

Fans lose an underdog. Race series loses a distinct car to add exposure (particularly for American fans, as it is built by the same All-American Racers that built the Eagle Weslake and other famous American race cars). And the race team loses time it has well-spent.

.....


The roll-over was scary, I believe they probably have the "safety triangle" that F1 and others use, but there should probably be an additional level of protection as the driver's head is more exposed at an angle than F1 cars or LMP cars on their backs.

[Jersey Tom]

I'm just not impressed with it. And what class would you even compare it to if its performance is so epic? It's a special entry, to a completely different rule set than anything else (which is the whole reason it won't return). Or am I mistaken?

[wesley123]

It's performance is a complete guess, as what everyone says, it runs in its own rule class. It cant be compared to any.

As of the car itself, yes it is a new type of thing, a thing currently unseen in motorsport, but is it really anything new? If you'd ask me it just apply's to things everyone knows for ages. A lighter car can more easily turn, with less force applied and therefore needs less downforce to make the car turn as fast as any other. Also it requires less power to drive it, and in turn less fuel consumption. It's looks are something that isnt applied here, but it sure has its place in waking the whole world up.

The car is great and all, and its looks are something special, but the same things can be applied to any other car, with a regular wheel setup, and probably even better. On safetywise, I wouldnt even consider it, as the vid already shows, due to its narrow front tracks and wide rear tracks it is more likely to roll over, due to it's design however it does not in regular racing. However, as the vid shows, it is easily flipped over when an unexpected force is applied. A regular 4 wheeled car would have never flipped over in that condition.

Then apart from that, a regular 4 wheel car wouldnt need the awkward weight distribution to not give it a weird pivot point.

And then we go to aerodynamics, in the Delta Wing the front wheels are in front of the underbody, the underbody that gives the Delta Wing almost all its downforce, these wheels will send dirty air just through the underbody, due to it's position. A regular 4 wheel car doesnt have this problem as the wheels are behind each other on each side.

Overall, the car is an eye opener, but the 3 wheeler type thing makes it unnecesarily complex, and that on an concept that is actually dead simple. In theory it is all quite simple, 50% less weight needs 50% less downforce to maintain same cornering speeds, due to the less weight(and df/drag) there is less power needed to push the car to the same speeds. And due to the less powerful engine, there is a reduction in fuel consumption. Now of course in the real world it isnt the same, but it builds on that idea.

The looks on the Delta wing however makes it that it is noticed, people take notice on something that is unknown to the eye. A regular 4 wheeler with the same idea would have never gotten that much attention.

[Ray]

The head protection is more than adequate. They wouldn't let it race without having enough clearance, and the tub it's built off of was deemed within regulations before they even built this car. I don't understand why people are saying that this cars head protection isn't safe, it's absolutely no different from any other open cockpit car. It adheres to the exact same rules as they do.

[Ray]

A regular 4 wheeled car would have never flipped over in that condition.

That's not strictly true. I've seen cars much heavier that the DW flip from trivial hits many times before.

[RB7ate9]

The deltawing is in its own class, but it was downgraded in power to compete less in LMP1 and more with other LMP2 in terms of speed.

As for criticisms as to the point of such a vehicle, when other cars are just as "good" in regular configurations, I present, again, the point for any racing series that asks teams to push the boundaries of the rules and build new cars every year. Of all the racing series, the endurance ones - which the Deltawing is part of - have the most to benefit from different configurations in car layout. If we already have the outstanding fundamentals behind 4 wheels, an engine, and the squishy animal within, then why don't we just stop development completely?

I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that is a fundamental right of sentient beings. But, I humbly argue that, of all the different race series out there, the WEC/ALMS offer the best chances for trying really different designs, technologies, and philosophies. Formula 1 use to be that, until the money (from broadcast and sponsors and rights) became such an issue that innovation is immediately outlawed or banned for the following season (i.e. fan cars, ground effects; off-throttle EBD, DDRS, and Lotus' dampers the most recent victims) to maintain parity and "the show".

To note: the design philosophy behind the deltawing has less to do with weight reduction as the foundation and more to do with the reduction of aerodynamic drag to then require less power, thus less weight, and so on.

I am in favor of the Deltawing continuing to draw support for Endurance racing and new designs. Personally, I wasn't in favor of the deltawing for Indycar or expected to do all that well at Le Mans. It has shown that it can go well around the track (a measure independent of class). Because it has done well and it provides a chance for innovation to be shown, encouraging the upper-echelon teams to attempt radical ideas in an "experimental class", I support the Deltawing and hope that other cars will stop crashing it out.

[RB7ate9]

That huge pile of words being said, I wonder if there would be any benefit in a reverse-delta formation, with the wide-track at the front for improved stability while having perhaps just a pair of closely paired wheels (or one wide wheel) to put down power, using the sides for large diffusers/ground effects?

[olefud]

That huge pile of words being said, I wonder if there would be any benefit in a reverse-delta formation, with the wide-track at the front for improved stability while having perhaps just a pair of closely paired wheels (or one wide wheel) to put down power, using the sides for large diffusers/ground effects?

The near-trike design requires the CoG to be near the wider spaced wheels. So you’re suggesting a front engine design. Having the engine adjacent the narrow-spaced wheels would be a bit tipsy.