F1technical.net

FIA launched the new F3 car at Abu Dhabi. Sounds like it's going to replace GP3 - N/A v6 rather than an inline 4, so it has an interesting air intake layout... I kinda miss the pod.
All images from FIA.com

Threw together a spline model based on camera matching (not final but pretty close imo), which I can use to make a 3d model of it should I find the time.
Would love some accurate dimensions though to help verify it - wheelbase/track width etc, or even a wing/floor width if possible. Not sure why no real dimensions were published.



But overall after comparing to the GP3 car, there are a lot more changes than meets the eye. Front suspension geometry is quite different for a start!

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 13:41

Threw together a spline model based on camera matching (not final but pretty close imo), which I can use to make a 3d model of it should I find the time.
Would love some accurate dimensions though to help verify it - wheelbase/track width etc, or even a wing/floor width if possible. Not sure why no real dimensions were published.

https://i.gyazo.com/634e44ee5626b07863d ... 45ca00.gif

But overall after comparing to the GP3 car, there are a lot more changes than meets the eye. Front suspension geometry is quite different for a start!

That is quite awesome.
How are you doing that? I was looking several times for something like this, but the results were usually awful.

rscsr wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 13:48

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 13:41

Threw together a spline model based on camera matching (not final but pretty close imo), which I can use to make a 3d model of it should I find the time.
Would love some accurate dimensions though to help verify it - wheelbase/track width etc, or even a wing/floor width if possible. Not sure why no real dimensions were published.

https://i.gyazo.com/634e44ee5626b07863d ... 45ca00.gif

But overall after comparing to the GP3 car, there are a lot more changes than meets the eye. Front suspension geometry is quite different for a start!

That is quite awesome.
How are you doing that? I was looking several times for something like this, but the results were usually awful.

I actually made one a few days earlier for the GP3 car in preparation as I was pretty convinced the F3 car would be very similar (and I was right!) -

For that I used a few known dimensions, so wheel/tyre sizes, i took what I assumed had to be the correct wheelbase/track width (from wikipedia and could find no source, so I hope its correct!). And from there you use the known dimensions to match against photos from a few angles and start building, tweaking, checking other photos, tweaking again...
Its never perfect, but its as close as you'll get without CAD reference or CAD derived blueprints. F1 is actually a bit easier as there are a lot of dimensions that are known, like floor width etc.

Then yesterday I just loaded up the new F3 images and made any changes - of which there where a lot more than I initially thought! I havent added the halo, because I already have a nice reference model of one from a previous project, but I checked and it fits nicely, so im confident that my depiction is pretty accurate overall.

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 13:41

Threw together a spline model based on camera matching (not final but pretty close imo), which I can use to make a 3d model of it should I find the time.
Would love some accurate dimensions though to help verify it - wheelbase/track width etc, or even a wing/floor width if possible. Not sure why no real dimensions were published.

That is super cool!!!!!

I don't think the key dimensions are different from last year:
Minimum wheelbase is 2000mm,
Maximum width is 1850mm (wheels steered straight ahead),
Maximum floor width is 1300mm,
Overall height is 860mm,
Width behind the RWCL is 900mm,
Front wing is 1600mm wide,
The cockpit opening will be 850mm long.

As I say, hopefully enough of these will be the same as last year. Failing that there are detailed drawings for the halo in the 2018/19 Formula E regs.
The bar diameter is 50mm,
Maximum width is 630mm,
Height from cockpit surround to apex of the Y is 156.3mm,
The maximum width of the Y is 365.1mm,
The centre of the front fixing to the front of the rear fixing is 835mm.

jjn9128 wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:02

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 13:41

Threw together a spline model based on camera matching (not final but pretty close imo), which I can use to make a 3d model of it should I find the time.
Would love some accurate dimensions though to help verify it - wheelbase/track width etc, or even a wing/floor width if possible. Not sure why no real dimensions were published.

That is super cool!!!!!

I don't think the key dimensions are different from last year:
Minimum wheelbase is 2000mm,
Maximum width is 1850mm (wheels steered straight ahead),
Maximum floor width is 1300mm,
Overall height is 860mm,
Width behind the RWCL is 900mm,
Front wing is 1600mm wide,
The cockpit opening will be 850mm long.

As I say, hopefully enough of these will be the same as last year. Failing that there are detailed drawings for the halo in the 2018/19 Formula E regs.
The bar diameter is 50mm,
Maximum width is 630mm,
Height from cockpit surround to apex of the Y is 156.3mm,
The maximum width of the Y is 365.1mm,
The centre of the front fixing to the front of the rear fixing is 835mm.

Ah nice, great info! Although I can't quite beleive that wheelbase number, should be closer to 3000mm? I'm at 2880mm for my model right now.

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:06

Ah nice, great info! Although I can't quite beleive that wheelbase number, should be closer to 3000mm? I'm at 2880mm for my model right now.

Yeah looking at it... 1300mm is too narrow for bodywork if the max width is 1850mm...

I can't find a rulebook on the FIA site for GP3

The Ligier JS F3 was built to FIA F3 regs and has wheelbase = 2920mm. The bodywork between the wheels is also 1500mm wide.

jjn9128 wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:09

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:06

Ah nice, great info! Although I can't quite beleive that wheelbase number, should be closer to 3000mm? I'm at 2880mm for my model right now.

Yeah looking at it... 1300mm is too narrow for bodywork if the max width is 1850mm...

I can't find a rulebook on the FIA site for GP3

The Ligier JS F3 was built to FIA F3 regs and has wheelbase = 2920mm. The bodywork between the wheels is also 1500mm wide.

Yeah I dont think those F3 regs are really related to the GP3/new F3 car, its a different class of car altogether really.

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:12

Yeah I dont think those F3 regs are really related to the GP3/new F3 car, its a different class of car altogether really.

I know - but they look like they take a lot of DNA from the GP3 chassis. e.g. the front wing mainplane and endplates look almost entirely carried over.

jjn9128 wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:14

garyjpaterson wrote: ↑

23 Nov 2018, 14:12

Yeah I dont think those F3 regs are really related to the GP3/new F3 car, its a different class of car altogether really.

I know - but they look like they take a lot of DNA from the GP3 chassis. e.g. the front wing mainplane and endplates look almost entirely carried over.

Absolutely, the floor leading edge and T tray etc also seem to be pretty much the same. Which strongly suggests the new F3 has nothing in common with the regional F3 regs which are their own class altogether.

That’s a massive bump in HP! Almost double to 380. Wonder what the future of F2 will be then. Plus with a standerd engine, no more room for VW or HPE.

I do like that they made the Halo out of steel for this series, a lot cheaper then tinanium

Mechachrome V6?

Jolle wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2018, 18:20

That’s a massive bump in HP! Almost double to 380. Wonder what the future of F2 will be then. Plus with a standerd engine, no more room for VW or HPE.

I do like that they made the Halo out of steel for this series, a lot cheaper then tinanium

I suppose the steel halo is because the speeds are lower.

This series/car replaces GP3 on the F1 calendar, so because it's only racing on F1 grade circuits they can run higher horsepower - interestingly 380bhp is less than the 400bhp quoted for GP3. It seems European, and regional F3 will continue with the old Dallara F317 and those engines... then there's the F3 "lite" car which is used in British and Asian F3 championships... which is an F4 car with a bigger floor and wings.

RicerDude wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2018, 18:31

Mechachrome V6?

Yeah it's the GP3 engine and gearbox.

Is there a particular reason for the rear wing endplates to have this "lightning" shape? It looks rather odd.