Laminar lip

[Fishy Dave]

Hello,

 

As someone who both uses aeroscreens and is fairly tall I was getting a little fed up in the summer of being bombarded with bugs on my forehead! The airflow seemed to just clear Beth on the passenger side, whilst the top of my head got a right blasting. So, at a Le Mans trackday in May this year we noticed a guy with a Lotus 2 Eleven that had a raised bit clipped onto his aeroscreen. He said it made quite a difference on the road. The cost seemed a little high though at close to £100!

So, returning home I did a search for the company who made them, and found them here - http://www.laminarlip.com/

 

After reading about how they work HERE I had a tinker about and made my own. The crude results of which are pictured below -

 

Pic1

 

Pic2

 

Pic3

 

In practise I have been really pleased, it has reduced the amount of fly strikes I have taken, and given me something taller to hide behind in the rain too. It doesn't look the neatest thing, but then it's a first attempt. It has made me aware of how much air blast you get from the side of the car, above the half door, but i can live with that.

 

I used a number plate blank and cut roughly to shape, and then heated it in the oven until soft and bent the shape on the edge of a baking tray (highly technical stuff ). The lip and indeed the whole aeroscreen is attached using adhesive dual lock which is strong enough at track and race speeds.

 

I could do with finding a material which is shatter proof, other than that I'm fairly pleased at no cost at all.

 

Anyone else made something like this? Your thoughts would be welcome.

 

Cheers, Dave

 

 

David Smitheram, Wiltshire (South) Joint AR, 07718 368173.

Used to be a 1400, now 1600 supersport race car www.racelife.co.uk

[myothercarsa2cv]

Very neat

 

John

_________________________

 

myothercarsa2cv

Bugsy: '82 2cv6 😬

Talloulah '08 1.6K Classic

[Jonathan Kay]

Haskell's book says that Chapman invented this for the Mk 25.

 

Jonathan

 

[Jason Plato]

the problem is that the current Caterham race aeros are too shallow

 

take a look at my aero in the link below - these are the old design and are simply brilliant

 

 

[Andrew Walker]

I think I read somewhere that Lotus decided in the end that the 'curtain of air' doesn't work - it would be great if it did. Flirted with this idea a few years ago with Angus and we made a test aeroscreen with adjustable front piece to try and create the high pressure curtain, but it didn't seem to work.

 

What I reckon is happening in your case Fishy Dave is that you have effectively raised the height of your aeroscreen with the additional piece of Perspex. It would be interesting to do a back to back test with a higher aeroscreen versus the set-up you have made.

 

[Racing Snake]

Dave - link missing

 

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Mad Hatter The Dura Mentalist 😬 Carl @ Penn 7's Caution - May Contain Nuts !

[Mr Locust]

Dave,

 

we spoke about your prototype at the GNMB just as we were packing up to leave and you seemed pretty pleased with it then.

 

The idea seems to get recycled from time to time the Renault Sport Spider was a little more elaborate!

 

Lexan properties?

 

Ian

 

Green and Silver Roadsport 😬

My Flickr Photos

Blatchatters Flickr Pool

[Jason Plato]

sorry

 

link to pic of older generation aero with far steeper angle.

[Fishy Dave]

Interesting, thanks for the comments.

 

Andrew, you could well be right, and it is just extending the height of the screen. Anything to keep the bugs if is fine by me.

 

Hi again Ian

 

David Smitheram, Wiltshire (South) Joint AR, 07718 368173.

Used to be a 1400, now 1600 supersport race car www.racelife.co.uk