Newey, Chapman, Postlethwaite, Barnard, Byrne, Murray, et al

[marcush.]

I find it intriguing that there are still people out there who did not see through the "surface-cooled" BT46, when it was nothing but a decoy for the fan-car which was in the pipeline, if you take closer look at the images, it was simply styrofoam pads.

As for the low-line BT55, the concept worked fine on the 1988 McLaren, it was just the tilted BMW-engine that didn't like it.

I cannot fathom how a guy like Murray would think he could cool a 500+ HP engine with a few flat plates in the 1970..so it was a fluke nothing else..

The BMW flat engine was what BMW came up with when the rules really cried for a v6 engine as the boost levels were so low already..but no budget there ...
It was a mess really the thing had no power and was unreliable as well...I think Rosche and his guys got carried away a little maybe it was the Offenhauser inspiration that took them for a ride...

[donskar]

Barnard really was the guy who set Formula 1 up for what it is now technically .

Not only did he come up with the goods characterising a current car.
-powertrain an integrated part of the design process has to fit into the aerodynmic constraints
-Carbonfibre tub
-gearbox automatic shift
-reliable CF Gearbox casing (Arrows)
-lightest everything without compromising durability -CF suspension etc
-aero -he came up with coke bottle ,stepped bottom longitudinally (high nose in effect )
-everything bespoke ,less and less off the shelve parts
-before everything cf he was the one to have everything machined and welded to highest standards (including complete gearboxhousings in titanium)
but he also implemented real R&D Departments into Formula 1

His trace of paving the way for todays race factories:
Mclaren sure would not be what it is today without him -and -of course Ron Dennis who instantly understood and provided the goods ....
Ferrari GTO in Guildford(sold to Mclaren to produce high quality parts for SLR)
Bennetton Godalming ( Walkinshaw an dbriatore fired him because of his Insane spending -NASA approach...)now Lotus
Ferrari FDD later B3 Technologies (Now in Gordon Murrays hands)
Toyota F1 /stillborn (RTN) now Caterham composite


To say he was not a detail man is a gross misconception -the man is just a detail freak ..What he is not interested in is fiddling around with one and the same thing turning it upside down year after year and optimising it in homoepatic doses -
the reality of todays formula 1 ...and he is not a fan of todays AERO dominance either as I understand.
No wonder he is not interested anymore..

I agree with all the praise for Barnard by marcush and xpensive. Let's also give a nod toward the man who then turned great designs into good cars -- Gustav Brunner. I think his talent -- and unselfishness -- is often overlooked.

[munudeges]

As for the low-line BT55, the concept worked fine on the 1988 McLaren, it was just the tilted BMW-engine that didn't like it.

I read an article not long ago where John Barnard's understudy Steve Nichols got really pissy about the MP4/4 being an evolution of Murray's BT55. It was though. I'll have to find it.

[xpensive]

I recall an interview with Murray when he explained that Prost hated the lay-down position of the MP4/4 to begin with,
why he demanded a conventional seat for the first tests. Later he found out that Senna was 5 km/h faster on the straights.

He laid down pretty quick after that information.

I think it was in the same interview that he admitted that the "surface cooled" BT46 was just a decoy.

I seem to remember that the 30 degree BMW-engine had problems with the oil-pump in left-hand corners. I can see that.

[munudeges]

The radiators were complete nonsense on the BT46 of course, but Murray knew he was getting something that would kill three birds with one stone. He'd get the cooling he wanted to cover up from the fan, it would also provide more downforce and he would get the low-line profile of the car that he always wanted for aerodynamic and other benefits. Small wonder it was thirty seconds down the road of a Lotus. Lauda even had to sandbag in qualifying just to keep a lid on it. EDIT: Quite lirerally as it turned out! No pun intended there.

I'm not surprised Murray was seriously annoyed when Mr E negotiated a deal to get it banned for his own ends.

[xpensive]

But then again, when Murray finally got his Cosworths back, he went the conventional route with the BT49, instant success.

Sometimes I wonder how may WDC's he would have had without all the strange engines that MrE came up with, not even the BMW turbo with it's sub-frame was really a viable option once the purpose-designed TAG and Honda V6s came in 1984.