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View Full Version : Carbon Fibre wing project....



Vez
19-04-2003, 16:30
Just been out for a test drive to see how much downforce our almost complete carbon fibre/fibre glass composite wing produces, and to see if our maths was any good...

A little background on the wing, its a single plain, six foot wide twelve inch deep affair, to adorn the back of the Ultima, though its going to be there primarily to look good...

We cant afford a wind tunnel (very much like Mclaren F1 cant) so what did we use...

A Fiest 1.3, the rear window down, two goons sat in the back holding the wing, with around 1/3rd of the wing out of the window, one person taking the full force of the wing nearest the window, the other using the other end as a leaver and adjusting the angle of attack...

I was taking the full brunt of the weight, and believe me at 30mph was more than a little worried as this thing was producing some MOTHER force....

Anyway, to 40 im now thinking this is a bad idea.....60 fcuk me, this thing ways a shit load now, 70, its starting to hurt, 80, fits of giggles as this is now hurting alot, and poeple think we are mad (and the fiesta is trying to turn constantly)....

Okay we are now doing 90, im shouting in pain and the skin on my fingers is now fully compressed and I can feel the bone, then my mate adjusts the angle of attack (git) and all I can say is "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH stop it you goiter, im gonna ****ing hit you"

It was at this point we realised the horizon was no longer level and we had compressed the suspension almost completly on one side of the Fiesta :D

All I can say is it was fecking funny, and hurt ALOT, oh boy does this wing produce downforce :D

And way more funny than having a wind tunnel! :D

Martin T
19-04-2003, 17:47
Like an Ultima has difficulty going round corners in the first place...
Some people - they're not happy until they got the moon on a stick:D

shadowninja
19-04-2003, 21:33
****ing funny story altho you could have got arrested for that!!

ScoobyDoo
20-04-2003, 11:29
OMG, at least you tested it! ROFL :D

Ive seen some silly wings bolted just about everywhere on scrabbly wagons, the best was a aluminium wing bolted in the centre of the roof on a fiesta mkII, bet that did wonders for high speed stability!

Vez
20-04-2003, 12:04
Well the idea was originally just to move the wing to the car for measuring up the pillars and drilling holes in the back of the Ultima....

It was wider than the fiesta, and the boot was full of belt sanders and a welder and a gas bottle, so it had to go out the window, then we came up with the idea of testing it :D

considering this thing has been made from scratch its bloody amazed us, an its a proper airofoil, and it produces a shed load of downforce even at 20 mph :) (my mates an aironautical engineer).

We might go and do it again today :D

Martin T
20-04-2003, 12:15
That kind of rear downforce will do wonders for a 900kg car though! How you ever gonna lost the arse end?:D

Vez
20-04-2003, 12:30
450bhp and 450+ lbs of tourque, by using the right foot? :D