Nah, just line the cockpit with aerogel, throw a small A/C unit in, you're good to go. If your thermostat fails mid race you'd be in the exact opposite predicament.
Formula None wrote:Nah, just line the cockpit with aerogel, throw a small A/C unit in, you're good to go. If your thermostat fails mid race you'd be in the exact opposite predicament.
Isnt aerogel extremely brittle?? Wouldnt it crack alot during a race.
thmas wrote:No one thinking about how hot the driver would get? Agreed for marketing open face helmets would be awesome but i doubt they'd get the go ahead. Would make the cars more aerodynamic surely?
I would get the canopy just for open face helmets... imagine the look of a frustrated Massa!
No more hiding your tears boy!! We can see you in HD!!
I've already said in the Massa thread way back I think this is a bad idea on a number of levels. Safety is a great thing and it's good to see the FIA researching better ways to protect a driver, but I'm still steadfast that a canopy presents many more safety problems than it solves.
1. It cannot, under any circumstance, have any kind of explosive based release. Safety and local laws will make it almost impossible to implement, not to mention specialized training in handling the explosives for the team members. No matter how small or 'weak' they may be they are a danger to everyone. I'll bet anything up to 1 US Dollar the FIA won't pay to train marshalls how to be around them and use them safety, because it would be cost prohibitive.
2. The danger of a non-explosive canopy release coming undone unintentionally is always there. These cars ride kerbs and that's one more thing they'd try and skimp weight wise to improve or mitigate a performance impact possibly causing a weak design in their pursuit of performance.
3. If they were to come unlatched unintentionally I would not want to be inside that car with it banging furiously up and down. Hell even a tiny bit loose could cause a failure and you cannot possibly control how it would detach from the car if it were to do so. If it were to stress one hinge/attaching point more than the other it could come off sideways and cause serious injury to a driver and possibly get stuck causing him to panic and create a dangerous situation to those around him as he tries to stop the car and get out.
4. If it were to come off you'd have an extremely high chance it's laying on track for another competitor to barrel into at high speed or of it flying into the crowd as it came off the car. I would not want to be out at a race and have even the lightest canopy hit me in the gonads 10 rows back in the stands.
5.The fire issues isn't really a concern of mine too much because a fire is so rare as such that most fans, myself included, can't remember the last incident where a driver was at true risk of being burned.
I only speak this way because I am trained on military aircraft canopies and the associated explosives that detach them from a stricken aircraft. Are they similar? Yes. Are the strictly alike? No. I've seen enough of what's been suggested all over the web as to speak on a professional level that canopies, in my opinion, are more problematic and dangerous to everyone involved compared to the benefits it would bring. I'm not saying this isn't the solution full stop, it's just my opinion that it can't be done safely without raising the risk above the payoff.
Supersonic jet bubble canopies are actually incredibly strong. They are designed for resisting the impact of a large bird at 1500mph. They are made from something like Lexan, and are usually quite thick, up to 1 inch thick in some areas.
I don't know if this idea would be feasible in practice, but it's definitely worth some study. There are several racing incidents that come to mind, where this device may have been helpful. Felipe Massa, Christiano DeMatta, Aryton Senna......
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I like the idea!
Why does the canopy have to fully enclose the cockpit???
Protection from a "windshield" would still allow drivers to exit the car in the event of a mishap...
Luv this site by the way...
One thought is how it would fair in wet races? Normally, for a jet fighter this isn't usually an issue since it's already traveling at over 500 mph, but with a car behind the safety car or attempting maximum race speed, there would be some problems with vision. I can imagine that it would have to be designed aerodynamically well enough that the water will sheet away at high speed, but what about lower speeds? Is there any information about the experience with the visors in the wet?
Also, I'm guessing there may have to be another pit crew man for tearing off the plastic wrap like drivers do with their visors!
They can make them like the LMP1 cars. No need for any explosives, just make the roof high enough and put two doors that still can be swung open while the car is upside down. Or just have some "pop up" legs that flip the car back onto its wheels, or lift one side of the car high enough for a clean escape.
