33 replies to this topic

[f1steveuk]

I'm just curious.

I have just been through a massive pile of photographs of Denny Hulme, throughout his career.

I was introduced to the yellow "visibilty" visors, at a meeting I was competeing in, which was overcast, with a threat of rain, and anyone who has used them will know how they make the dullest day 'seem' quite bright. Then I noticed in this raft of Hulme pictures, that he seemed to have a preference for these visors, come rain, shine, or overcast conditions. Sometimes a smoked visor (nearly always with peak poppers, but never with a peak!!??) and sometimes a clear one, but more often, an yellow, "VisiVisor".

Does anyone know if this is just me, or did Denny have a good reason to prefer these, maybe the after effects of his visor melting at Indy' or an on going eye problem?

As I say, just curious!

[arttidesco]

I noticed Denny had a preference for yellow eye wear and visors back in the 60's and 70's too, probably one of the first things I recognize him by, maybe he didn't like carrots.

When I tried yellow eye wear for mountain biking I found them great for going through dark woods but too painful to wear in normal daylight.

[B Squared]

Ray Ban Aviators with yellow colored lenses have been around for quite sometime. There certainly must be a reason that involves vision enhancement.

http://www.ray-ban.c...500000008563919

[gwk]

The spectral sensitivity of the human eye is maximal in the green-yellow range, while the pupillary response is greatest in the blue. So, yellow lenses filter out the light most effective at contracting the pupil (blue) and admit light (yellow) to which the eye is most sensitive. The world therefore seems brighter (through your dilated pupils) when wearing yellow lenses

http://onlinelibrary...3111.x/abstract

http://www.light-mea...itivity-of-eye/

Ray Ban Aviators with yellow colored lenses have been around for quite sometime. There certainly must be a reason that involves vision enhancement.

http://www.ray-ban.c...500000008563919

[f1steveuk]

The spectral sensitivity of the human eye is maximal in the green-yellow range, while the pupillary response is greatest in the blue. So, yellow lenses filter out the light most effective at contracting the pupil (blue) and admit light (yellow) to which the eye is most sensitive. The world therefore seems brighter (through your dilated pupils) when wearing yellow lenses

http://onlinelibrary...3111.x/abstract

http://www.light-mea...itivity-of-eye/

That's the science sorted! I took to using yellow tinted tear offs, if the light conditions changed, I had the option of removing the whole stack.

But why did Denny seem to prefer using them?

Edited by f1steveuk, 20 January 2012 - 19:43.

[E1pix]

I totally remember Denny's yellow visor, first one I recall seeing as a kid. It seems that was in 1970, or maybe 1969 (Can-Am).

I've personally never used one, but can understand why it works on a dreary day. Though not exactly the "same," we discovered long ago that when we get stuck in a tent for hours or days, in the wilderness, yellow is the only color than doesn't feel like imprisonment. Maybe this is why gold was made in that "warm and fuzzy" color.

[Edit: my guess is that while yellow may cut though bleakness in a visual manner, it may be more about our ingrained connection to the sun.]

Edited by E1pix, 20 January 2012 - 20:16.

[BRG]

Yellow lenses are often used by skiers in flat light conditions (overcast sky) as they give better definition. You can see the bumps better when there are no shadows on the snow. It does seem to work in my experience but I don't know the science.

[jj2728]

The green/dark tinted visor.
Mid-Ohio Can Am 1971


The yellow visor.
USGP 1972


Copyright JAG

[E1pix]

Lovely, JJ.

Have you posted the USGP shot on that thread yet? It's wonderful, and I don't recall seeing it.

[Ray Bell]

Frank Gardner, not at all quick to change over to a full face helmet, used yellow lenses in his goggles for years before these pics...

And it was because of the enhancement of visibility in overcast conditions.

[David Lawson]

I wear glasses so couldn't use goggles when I had motorbikes in the 1960s, I used a bubble visor which was tinted yellow and just found it made everything yellow rather than clearer.


A dodgy picture from my Trusty Zenith E at the 1974 Race of Champions where Hulme's yellow visor would have been working overtime in pretty awful conditions.

David

[f1steveuk]

Lovely pictures, thank you.

I spoke to someone who works at Brighton eye hospital yesterday, and mentioned Hulme's seeming preference for these visors, and he thought that the heat damage he may have suffered at Indy (enough to melt his visor) may well have had a lasting effect, but I was hoping to get confirmation from someone who has either known Denny, or read it, I can't recall too many drivers who would rather use these instead of clear or smoked visors.

Ah the bubble visor!! I recall Canada, 1973, and Denny had a heated version there as well!

Edited by f1steveuk, 21 January 2012 - 11:37.

[arttidesco]

A dodgy picture from my Trusty Zenith E at the 1974 Race of Champions where Hulme's yellow visor would have been working overtime in pretty awful conditions.

David

Brrrrr ! Great photo remember that cold and wet day well, where was the photo taken Druids ?

[kayemod]

Lovely pictures, thank you.

I spoke to someone who works at Brighton eye hospital yesterday, and mentioned Hulme's seeming preference for these visors, and he thought that the heat damage he may have suffered at Indy (enough to melt his visor) may well have had a lasting effect, but I was hoping to get confirmation from someone who has either known Denny, or read it, I can't recall too many drivers who would rather use these instead of clear or smoked visors.

I met Denny several times in the months following his Indy mishap, and while his hands were in an awful state, mostly pink scar tissue, his eyes looked perfectly normal to me, no apparent injuries at all, and it never seemed to affect his driving did it? I don't know if he managed to straighten them, but his fingers looked slightly clawed back then, I'd have thought that was rather more of a handicap to him.

[RS2000]

Penti Airikkala, when he won the RAC Rally wore yellow " over glasses" (he drove in spectacles normally and these were things like protective glasses that fitted over them) during his final night battle with Carlos Sainz. Conditions were average ie. no significant snow to dazzle in the lights. The nearest he came to commenting on their effectiveness was to say: "Well, they are certainly not for posing". Don't recall him using them before or after and it may well have just been part of the pyschological battle. He had just been accused of having notes, when the real reason for any advantage was better knowledge of the stages (and of the OS map by the co-driver) from competing all year in the British Championship.
I don't recall other rally use of yellow lenses and I certainly found it better not to wear sunglasses when daytime stages could go suddenly from bright sunlight to dark shade. Conversely, some of us used to wear (non-reactive) sunglasses competing at Wiscombe Park hillclimb regardless of conditions because, going from open ground into the tree-shaded Esses, flash photography almost used to blind you - and that was in a saloon car, in a 600bhp single seater it was obviously a fair bit worse.

Edited by RS2000, 21 January 2012 - 16:35.

[Nigel Beresford]

Denny used a yellow visor long before the Indy fire - see link to 1969 Dutch GP...

http://www.racephoto.../fotos_racing1/

If anyone reading this has any influence with Arai, please get them to make a yellow tint visor for their latest motorcycle helmets - the ones using the type "i" visor... I need one for my new Denny replica helmet and my old yellow visor won't fit.

[kayemod]

Denny used a yellow visor long before the Indy fire - see link to 1969 Dutch GP...

http://www.racephoto.../fotos_racing1/

That Racephoto pic of Denny is interesting for the rudimentary aerodynamic appendage on the back of his car, an ugly full-width engine cover with a Gurney flap, I think it was only used for one race. One time I was visiting Colnbrook the whole thing had been thrown out of the rear of the McLaren shop, it appeared to have been jumped on, and someone, I think Tyler Alexander, had written on it with a marker pen in bold lettering "FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO." Ah well, it was early days as far as F1 aero was concerned.

[f1steveuk]

Denny used a yellow visor long before the Indy fire - see link to 1969 Dutch GP...

http://www.racephoto.../fotos_racing1/

If anyone reading this has any influence with Arai, please get them to make a yellow tint visor for their latest motorcycle helmets - the ones using the type "i" visor... I need one for my new Denny replica helmet and my old yellow visor won't fit.

If they don't RaceOptics do their stacked tear off kits, and do a yellow, not a whole visor I'll grant you, but it's a start!

Yes, it appears Denny has always had a preference for yellow tint



I'm begining to suspect he just liked it!!

[BRG]

I don't recall other rally use of yellow lenses

Doesn't Latvala use yellow glasses when he is driving? Not completely effective though, given his propensity for hitting things.

[Ray Bell]

If I can add to what I already posted...

I think the Frank Gardner influence would have been present in this. They spent more than a little time together and I'm sure Frank used to 'promote' the yellow lenses to others.

KB might comment on this.

[jj2728]

Jack Brabham in 1969



Copyright JAG

[Lee Nicolle]

Many moons ago I had some yellow glasses. Recomended to me by a friend. I used them occasionally at night when driving distance and they did seem to sharpen up my vision. But were hell with oncoming cars headlights. And after a while they gave me a headache too.Though everything seemed so dark when I took them off!
I then got prescription glasses so had no real use for them anymore. At the optical shops I have seen yellow lenses advailable so it seems you can still get them in prescription lenses [and they are plastic]
Though I have 4 pairs of glasses alraedy. distance in light adjusting, standard in plastic for evening [and motorsport] reading glasses and computer/ office glases I doubt I need more. And interestingly I always fine the glass self darkening lenses are far more optically pure than the plastic lenses with the same prescription. Hence I wear them most of the time night or day. And plastic 'glares' more at night and the lenses last about 1/4 of the time.

[Ray Bell]

That would be all right by me...

The rimless plastic ones I have on at the moment I've been wearing over six years.

[Lee Nicolle]

That would be all right by me...

The rimless plastic ones I have on at the moment I've been wearing over six years.

You obviuosly dont work with tools anymore. I get about a year from lenses. Lucky I have health insurance!

[ghinzani]

I swear by mine for karting Steve, best thing I've bought in a long time - once you learn theres a protective strip that needs removing on the inside of the visor too. My excuse for why everyone else turned left at the first corner at Llandow, and I assaulted the tyres...

[eldougo]

[quote name='f1steveuk' date='Jan 22 2012, 03:06' post='5488272']

....1965 photo with the single strip on Helmet ,66 two strips.

Doug Nye F1 Legends book has a great photo.Page 36

[kevinbartlett]

If I can add to what I already posted...

I think the Frank Gardner influence would have been present in this. They spent more than a little time together and I'm sure Frank used to 'promote' the yellow lenses to others.

KB might comment on this.

Ray, I will make a comment here about the visor tints. Frank G. did influence ME in my choice of coloured visors. But don't know about Denny, although as we all know they were good mates, so could be Frank's influence. Simply put: Dark or wet overcast days= yellow (also good for spotting oil on track). Bright days= heavy shaded tint. Normal days the standard clear.

Edited by kevinbartlett, 27 January 2012 - 01:01.

[arttidesco]

I know the evidence against the proposition a the start of this thread, that the Indy fire had something to do with Denny's preference for yellow visors, has already been shown but it is further evidenced by the pic of Denny driving the M15 at Indy in 1970 on this link.

[Ralliart]

I'm looking at a color photo of John Miles in Nick Georgano's book racing in the '70 French GP with a yellow viser.

[Muz Bee]

Some wonderful photos thanks! Especially liked the M19 at the Glen, Dan and Denny, and Jack in close up. So much richness compared to F1's professionals in cotton wool.

[f1steveuk]

I think I've seen a clue to the answer to this now!

Denny, like some other drivers (the majority of whom are from Australia) seemed to prefer the yellow tint visors, when most drivers would switch to light or dark smoked visors.

I know of the benefits these yellow tints can give in poor light (I still use Raceoptics Stacked Tear-off system with the base tear off in yellow in rain and poor light), but obviously in appalling light you's go for clear, in brilliant sunshine a smoke visor, but the remark " better for spotting oil" rang a bell for me.

Quite obviously I was incorrect to assume Denny had to use a yellow tint due to eye injury, but the wily old bear may have been using it as an advantage to spotting dropped oil, or he just simply liked using them.

Thanks one and all!!

[Ralliart]

Just came across of a photo of '73 GP helmets by Rainer Schlegelmilch - Follmer had a yellow viser. Hulme, Miles, Follmer. So, unusual in F1 but not unique.

[WDH74]

the remark " better for spotting oil" rang a bell for me.

Makes sense, yellow would up the contrast, wouldn't it? I know a few people who target shoot and like yellow lenses for that reason.

Personally, I've never been able to handle yellow lenses for any length of time unless it's really dim. I also don't seem to really like the old "BluBlocker" ones, but normal polarized lenses are fine. Go figure!

-WDH

[stevewf1]

The spectral sensitivity of the human eye is maximal in the green-yellow range, while the pupillary response is greatest in the blue. So, yellow lenses filter out the light most effective at contracting the pupil (blue) and admit light (yellow) to which the eye is most sensitive. The world therefore seems brighter (through your dilated pupils) when wearing yellow lenses

http://onlinelibrary...3111.x/abstract

http://www.light-mea...itivity-of-eye/

All well and good, but from what I've read, make sure any lenses (whatever color) you wear are capable of blocking UV radiation. For example, I'm understanding that wearing a pair of plain dark sunglasses that don't block UV light is worse than wearing no sunglasses at all because the pupils are dilated and letting in more harmful UV.