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Distinct and narrow nose for new Honda

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The new Honda has just been launched in its black testing livery but it is already quite obvious the car has gone through serious aerodynamic changes. In fact the team have been following their own filosophy. As a result, their newest creation does not really resemble any other car. The nose cone in particular was made thinner and higher than the Red Bull RB3, the Renault R27 or the McLaren MP4-22. As more air will pass aside of the nose and therefore flow onto the suspension arms, Honda also rejoined the steering arm and upper front wishbone together just like every other team. Their first version of the zero-keel design (in the RA106) had the rods separate, despite the aerodynamic disadvantage.

Comments

By nextgen on 30-01-2007 at 07:21

Honestly, why wouldn\'t teams start creating more narrow noses?

By Steven on 30-01-2007 at 12:21

Well two things might prevent them from doing it:
- As more weight is required in the front of the car with those Bridgestone tyres, the nose cone is the best place to put that. Making the nose therefore very thin could prevent enough mass to be put into there.
- The nose itself might also provide a bit of downforce, but making it smaller will decrease that.

Ferrari for instance is a team that has had a pretty wide nose for quite some time now.

By nextgen on 31-01-2007 at 00:43

Right, but you can make the nose narrower without compromising downforce in the front. The only downforce (in the front) comes from the wing, not the nose. All the nose is doing is a) seperating the air and b)creating drag by being in the way (but of course you need it, but it\'s true)

The nose on the Ferrari is wider because it fits the entire package. What you do at the front, dramatically changes the middle and rear results. I had asked Adrian Newey about this similar thing last year, and he said it was just package.

By ginsu on 02-02-2007 at 00:47

Also, the nose is longer than last years nose (extends about 4 inches in front of front wing edge, last years was recessed), furthering the argument for a change in weight distribution. We know the Bridgestone tires suffer from understeer, so it makes sense that Honda would move the weight forward.

By ced ampo on 21-12-2008 at 08:16

And also we saw in 2008 that at first ferrari had a very wide nose and they placed naca ducts in it in the season

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