Flying LeMans Prototypes

[jack_christie]

So far this year there have been five disturbing flying crashes, where the car has literally taken off for no apparent reason. Injuries have been light, but the crashes have been epic.

Hope they get it sorted soon, but I doubt anything will change before LeMans




Marc Gene
Peugeot
LeMans test day 2008, June 1st

+ YouTube Video

Devlin
BK Lola/Mazda
Sebring 2008 - Quali

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

Monza 1000 km 2008 - quali
Jamie Campbell Walter
Creation Autosportif team

+ YouTube Video

Monza 1000 km 2008 - quali
Capello
Audi R10

+ YouTube Video

Monza 1000 km 2008
stephane ortelli
courage oreca

+ YouTube Video

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by jack_christie

So far this year there have been five disturbing flying crashes, where the car has literally taken off for no apparent reason.

I'm sorry, but for me, the reason why these cars took off was quite obvious in all videos.

[Viper007Bond]

Yeah, they fucked up and lost traction, etc. and when you get a car going sideways, backwards, or against a wall, it's so likely for it to flip and fly. After all, they are just airplanes upside down essentially.

[powah]

Wow, that last one was epic.

[Quadrax]

Originally Posted by jack_christie

So far this year there have been five disturbing flying crashes, where the car has literally taken off for no apparent reason.

All the aero works in reverse when the car is going backwards. Downforce changes into lift, it's not uncommon.

[jack_christie]

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

I'm sorry, but for me, the reason why these cars took off was quite obvious in all videos.

Not really, if they fully understood why the cars take off when they get sideways, there would have been a rule change fix by now. The current rules are supposed to stop this happening!

Originally Posted by powah

Wow, that last one was epic.

Would have been close to 200mph before the braking area

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by jack_christie

Not really, if they fully understood why the cars take off when they get sideways, there would have been a rule change fix by now. The current rules are supposed to stop this happening!

But besides majorly changing the cars shapes or forbidding this kind of racing as a whole, what do you want to do about it? Crashes will always happen, and they are too versatile to prevent a certain type from happening.

[Hazardous]

Originally Posted by jack_christie

Not really, if they fully understood why the cars take off when they get sideways, there would have been a rule change fix by now. The current rules are supposed to stop this happening!

I don't think any of the cars flipped just because they were sideways. All were helped by sliding on a bumpy grass (apart from Devlin who hit the wall, and I'm not sure if Capello was helped by another car). which lifted one side of the car and let air get underneath it. I don't think any of those cars would have taken off had they stayed on tarmac. I'm no aerodynamicist(however you spell that), but I'd say any reasonably flat plane like a sports prototype catching air beneath it at 150+mph it is going to generate a tremendous amount of lift for a moment.

[Night_Hawk]

Exactly ^

as soon as air gets underneath, at least when you're really going fast, something's gonna lift up.

it all works good when the car is facing ahead though, obviously

[vikiradTG2007]

Originally Posted by Hazardous

I don't think any of the cars flipped just because they were sideways. All were helped by sliding on a bumpy grass (apart from Devlin who hit the wall, and I'm not sure if Capello was helped by another car). which lifted one side of the car and let air get underneath it. I don't think any of those cars would have taken off had they stayed on tarmac. I'm no aerodynamicist(however you spell that), but I'd say any reasonably flat plane like a sports prototype catching air beneath it at 150+mph it is going to generate a tremendous amount of lift for a moment.

That effect of "catching air" caused the now notorious Mercedes CLR incidents as well; the front diffuser was very sensitive to bumps and, in certain pitch conditions, it could actually generate about 1-1.5 tons of lift for a fraction of a second.

[anti-net]

I heard about the 908 crash but only just saw the video, I can see why Marc Gene thought he was going to die - that's a big knock! Oh well, bring on Le Man and lets hope they keep the rubber on tarmac

[MadCow809]

Originally Posted by vikiradTG2007

That effect of "catching air" caused the now notorious Mercedes CLR incidents as well; the front diffuser was very sensitive to bumps and, in certain pitch conditions, it could actually generate about 1-1.5 tons of lift for a fraction of a second.

Ask Mark Webber, his merc flipped twice on the same day

[vikiradTG2007]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

Ask Mark Webber, his merc flipped twice on the same day

And then Peter Dumbreck, who got a breath-test alcohol check after landing in the trees


Seriously, he was tested for alcohol level after having that monumental crash during the 1999 race. He commentated on the 2007 race for Motors TV, someone asked that on the forum, and he answered affirmatively and described what it was like.

[argatoga]

Originally Posted by vikiradTG2007

That effect of "catching air" caused the now notorious Mercedes CLR incidents as well; the front diffuser was very sensitive to bumps and, in certain pitch conditions, it could actually generate about 1-1.5 tons of lift for a fraction of a second.

Yea Mercedes knows how to make cars fly.

+ YouTube Video

And of course there was the infamous incident in 1955 with the 300SLR.