Chris Cardwell Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Does the windscreen add any significant downforce to a 7? Compared with the back spoler on exotic supercars the windscreen is a significant size Has anyone tried to measure the downforce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy the 7th Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Don't think there is any down force from a screen. If anything it probably creates unwanted Up lift judging by the vortex you get in the cockpit 😶🌫️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Lef Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 It may not add downforce......but it certainly adds to the brick like 'aerodynamic' characteristics of the car! 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Wasn't there a project with a University to model the mechanical structure of a 7? Has anyone done aerodynamic studies (other than the roof-on roof-off debate)? Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cardwell Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Wishful thinking on my part. Perhaps a large gap along the bottom of the screen and tilted back towards the driver would help create downforce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob L Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 More of an air brake than a spoiler 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 One of Chapman's innovations was the split screen on the 25 and (I think) the 33. There was also a lot of work done on drag on the variants of the Eleven. I don't remember reading much about downforce and screens. Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 22 Oct 2012 15:06:27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I reckon it adds a few kilos of downforce even when static, due to the weight of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keybaud Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Quoting Jonathan Kay: Wasn't there a project with a University to model the mechanical structure of a 7? Has anyone done aerodynamic studies (other than the roof-on roof-off debate)? Jonathan I can't remember where it was mentioned, although it was probably on BC, but someone pointed out that a Caterham and a F1 car have a very similar coefficients of drag. It's just that the drag on the F1 car is the result of downforce to push it down, whereas the drag on a Caterham is used to push it back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger King Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I remember many years ago trying a Caterham with the screeen off and on (unfortunately I can't remember which circuit because that will almost certainly affect the outcome), and the result was almost identical lap times. Without the screen it was pulling another couple of hundered revs in a straight line, but with the screen the braking distances were noticeably shorter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cardwell Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Roger I was hoping the windscreen also provided downforce as well acting as an air brake. You should be able to brake harder with more downforce The cheapest upgrade is to remove the windscreen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy the 7th Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Quoting Chris Cardwell: Roger The cheapest upgrade is to remove the windscreen I agree but we do so much touring that at times necessitates a 1/2 hood that SWMBO would never agree rog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted October 23, 2012 Area Representative Share Posted October 23, 2012 Quoting Chris Cardwell: Perhaps a large gap along the bottom of the screen and tilted back towards the driver would help create downforce. Sounds like a Brooklands aero.... 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Soper Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Whan I was sprinting the 7 S2 in the early 80's and with only 70 bhp at the flywheel and a 4.1 diff the screen off at Goodwood was worth 2 secs per lap Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 That's what I'd expect, which is why Roger's observation is so fascinating. It would depend on the circuit, as he points out, and I think it could only occur if deceleration with brakes and no screen was much greater than with brakes and a screen, and that braking was a major factor on that circuit. More data on deceleration please. There's an app for that... Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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