Farnborough wrote: ↑20 Mar 2023, 21:48
Can a "downwashing" wing do anything but give lift though ? That's surely part of its function, forcing the air to turn down will always give lift in wing form.
They are clearly doing something wrong, that mid wing has a very substantial area and oriented to give lift, whatever the mercedes concept people keep saying.
Yes I understand why the supply toward the beam wing is important to make the floor more effective.
This bit just doesn't seem to fit that remit as primary function. It's primary function is orientated to lift, downwash is just consequence.
None of it's immediately competitive adversary have this element!
The mid-wing is as much a part of the Mercedes concept as the sidepod and the floor. In fact, the entire purpose of the sidepod, is to allow them to run the mid wing.
I suspect that Mercedes focused too much on this loophole wing, and allowed it to guide them down a path that hasn't worked. For Mercedes to adopt a difference car concept means they will have to abandon the mid-wing. Mid-wing is not legal with an undercut sidepod. It would violate the two section rule in the yz plane.
The problem now they will run into is once they abandon the mid-wing, the SIS is in the wrong place. It's location was dictated entirely by the desire to run this loophole mid-wing. It will be a handicap until they can change the chassis again, so we won't see that until the W15.
A lion must kill its prey.