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RV Building Philosophy

rv7boy

rv7boy

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"Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." Colin Chapman, Lotus F1 Team Owner

I ran across this in reading about Colin Chapman. No doubt his experience as a pilot gave him valuable insight as a race car designer. There are several other quotes of his which could be valuable to us.

Jim Clark was my favorite F1 and Indy driver when I was a teenager.
 
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"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donohue
 
WingsOnWheels said:
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donohue
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“I want enough power to spin the wheels at the end of the longest straight at Nuremberg. Then I’ll address the traction problem.” – Author unknown (although it may be Donohue)

Power doesn’t have to equate to weight. There are a lot of things you can do to an engine to extract more power from it. Talk to the engine builders about what they can do to bump up the power output of your selected engine.

Just remember, to send them your exhaust manifold. It does no good to port your cylinders if they are not matched to your exhaust manifold.

And you are right to be concerned about weight. The lighter the craft the better it will feel, drive, whatever.
 
rv7boy said:
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." Colin Chapman, Lotus F1 Team Owner

I've always been an open wheel fan growing up in Indiana, and Mr. Chapman amazed me.
1.Calling upon my years of experience, I froze at the controls. ? Stirling Moss
2. If you?re in control, you?re not going fast enough. ? Parnelli Jones
3. It?s like flying jet fighters in a gymnasium ? Dick Trickle was asked what racing at Windchester Speedway was like.

Great quotes
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Colin Chapman

I believe Colin Chapman was a pilot for all of his adult life. He started in the University Air Squadron and got his PPL. Later joined the RAF with a short term commission. After working for British Aluminum he started Lotus cars and when the company could afford it (or maybe not!), he bought and flew a succession of company aircraft. He was active in flying until his death.

My engineer heros include:
Van - RV Aircraft
Richard Hiscocks - DeHavilland Aircraft (Beaver, Otter, etc.)
Kelly Johnson - Lockheed Aircraft

Colin Chapman - Lotus Cars
Gordon Murray - Brabham Cars, McLaren Cars, Gordon Murray Design
Adrian Newey - McLaren Cars, Red Bull Racing Cars

In addition to my RV-9A project, I also have a 1966 Lotus Elan, a 1600 lb sports car where Chapman's principles are much in evidence.
 
terrye said:
....
In addition to my RV-9A project, I also have a 1966 Lotus Elan, a 1600 lb sports car where Chapman's principles are much in evidence.
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I had a 1964 one... bought for $200 in 1971 with a hole in the crankcase -

lotus.jpg


Lucky I never killed myself in it. Think 23 year old in Mich. in the early 70's surrounded by big Detroit iron...:rolleyes:

Selling it when I moved to CA - they were about to pass retroactive smog control - was the worse automotive move I ever did...:(
 
Before I got into aviation I had a Lotus Elise. By far the best, most visceral car I've ever driven. No power steering, no power windows, no cup holders, no upholstery, no air conditioning for all intents and purposes (it would freeze up after 10 Memphis minutes). More go cart than car, really. It's an extruded aluminum tub with an engine in the back. It was my daily driver for a couple of years, and I drive a lot. This makes small airplanes seem more comfortable by comparison.
 
It's Mario Andretti's Fault I am a Pilot

"If you don't walk back to the pits with the steering wheel in your hand once in a while, you ain't really trying."- Mario Andretti

I started racing go karts and eventually moved up to Formula Ford. Unfortunately I took Mario's words to heart. A near death experience with three young children at home ended my racing hobby.

Six months later it was the beginning the racing season. I told my wife I needed to "scratch the adrenaline itch" that racing had provided. She told me to go take a flying lesson. "It has to be safer than open wheel racing and we can do it together". That was in 1992.

BTW I still race go karts every now and then. Two nights ago I started 10th and won the race in a 16 lap event at F1 Boston, a great indoor racilty in Braintree, MA. If you have never RACED a kart you should put it on your bucket list. Major FUN!
 
Someone has this quote by Enzo Ferrari in their signature....

"Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines"

Although I've always been a Lotus fan, there is a documentary
on the cable channel Velocity currently showing, about Grand Prix
racing in the 60's and how many drivers were killed, including Jimmy
Clark. It is a sobering story on how lighter contributed to so many
equipment failures and dealths (as well as fire, lack of driver safety
equipment and unsafe racing circuits). It was at times difficult to
watch. It has good interviews with the (surviving) great drivers of that time.
 
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Tom,
That show (Velocity channel is on DirecTV Channel 281) is the show which prompted my post that started this thread. I watched it twice this last week and still have it in my Saved list. I didn't want to dwell on the negative aspect of it, but in car design and in airplane design there are some very significant design compromises which must be considered.

(Jim Clark was such a hero of mine that I wanted my mother to name my little brother "James Clark Hull." She gave him another name.)

Back to airplane design, I didn't appreciate all the compromises that Lotus, Ferrari and others were making to further their sport. I also kept up with the Indianapolis 500 cars which went through quite an evolution, thanks again to Colin Chapman and Jim Clark as well as Dan Gurney, Mickey Thompson and a host of others. I wish someone would produce a decent documentary on the Cleveland Air Races, as well as the Reno Air Races.
 
Even to this day

Even to this day there are so much here say that is dominant in car racing, including F1. When I crewed race cars in the early 90's I could not convince my team manager that a flapped wing was inefficient. He insisted I run a flap rear wing at a nearly zero flap angle rather than a solid wing; I took him to the airport and showed him planes taking off and landing and everything, but no changing his mind. Same thing with changing the size of the gurney flap to get more down force; I showed him my wind tunnel test data and everything that proved this does no good. I still see similar things in F1 with the 2012 cars; engineers are still being guided by past dillusions and not data.

I admire the RV crowd who test to improve and find a solution. You guys rock, and with the ongoing shrinking exit thread and the "delta" tips, you guys are making some great progress, worthy of any grad school program in aerodynamics.
 
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