6 replies to this topic

[Schumey's Lost Son]

Just a simple question

What is the piece of wire/metal that is positioned towards the nose of the car. It is infront of an aerial and is shaped in an upside down L shape

[rainern]

It is a pitot-tube, similar to what is seen on all aircraft. It measures the speed of the vehicle. The pressure created into the tube is proportional to the actual speed.


Rainer

[Timm]

A hole in the front of the tube accepts pressure caused by the atmosphere (aka Static Pressure) and by the cars speed (aka Dynamic Pressure). Holes around the side accept pressure caused by the atmosphere alone. By subtracting one from the other, the pressure caused by the cars speed can be found and, from that, the speed of the car can be calculated.

[Yelnats]

Except cubic dollars!

[Yelnats]

Answer to "What is that weird little thing on an F1 car?"........?

Last time I looked it was Jean Todt!

[Formulaben]

Both forgot to mention that it is AIRSPEED that is being measured, and usually it is compared against the GROUNDSPEED, which is what we all see in our road car. If, for example, the car is not reaching it's redline on the straight, but caculations suggest it should, the airpseed indications would be show a higher speed than caculated, which would result from high(er) wind coming down the straight. This would result in gearing being changed for the top gear, and perhaps some other changes for the course that has a tailwind.

[desmo]

Here's more:

http://www.atlasf1.c...p?threadid=6724