10 replies to this topic

[absinthedude]

This may well be answered with one post. Does anyone know which was the last F1 car with the tub made of something other than carbon fibre? I'd assume one of the early 80s aluminium honeycomb but I don't recall ever reading who made the last one to race.

[Michael Ferner]

There were definitely some hybrids; just the other day I read about the Ensign N181 (and thus, presumably, the Theodore N183, too) being made of an aluminium tub with a composite section around the cockpit. And I think the Williams tub was still at least partly alu in 1984, still!?

Edited by Michael Ferner, 30 July 2020 - 13:26.

[TennisUK]

Tyrell did until 1985, and I think it remained mainly aluminium until 1987.

[Allen Brown]

What an interesting question!

[funformula]

This is from another thread here, former Tyrrell engineer Nigel Beresford on Tyrrell 016 of 1987;

 

016 had an ally honeycomb lower half and carbon composite top - a logical progression from 015 and a midway point on the way to the full carbon 017. Our carbon capability really took off when Frank Coppuck arrived. He managed the design and manufacture of the 016 top, but for some reason the first finished component ended up 3 or so millimetres too short, which was a bit of a rude shock but he got it sorted out. 

 

I can´t recall another F1 car built in hybrid fashion at a later point.

[TennisUK]

I think the 014 and 015 were kind of hybrids. Aluminium on the whole but with carbon reinforcements.

[chr1s]

Didn't Patrick Head  say something along the lines of being able to design an aluminium tub that was as stiff as a carbon one,  around 1985 ish?

[absinthedude]

This is from another thread here, former Tyrrell engineer Nigel Beresford on Tyrrell 016 of 1987;

 

016 had an ally honeycomb lower half and carbon composite top - a logical progression from 015 and a midway point on the way to the full carbon 017. Our carbon capability really took off when Frank Coppuck arrived. He managed the design and manufacture of the 016 top, but for some reason the first finished component ended up 3 or so millimetres too short, which was a bit of a rude shock but he got it sorted out. 

 

I can´t recall another F1 car built in hybrid fashion at a later point.

 

Interesting that Wikipedia has the 015 as being carbon/ally and the 016 as a "carbon fibre monocoque" but as we all know that occasionally that site is incorrect. I am happy to believe the word of Mr. Beresford.

[hogstar]

Didn't Patrick Head  say something along the lines of being able to design an aluminium tub that was as stiff as a carbon one,  around 1985 ish?

 

 

Head was a little late to the Carbon Fibre party until the FW10 came along in 1985. 

[Duc-Man]

There were definitely some hybrids; just the other day I read about the Ensign N181 (and thus, presumably, the Theodore N183, too) being made of an aluminium tub with a composite section around the cockpit. And I think the Williams tub was still at least partly alu in 1984, still!?

Mentioning the Theodore N183:

 

[jeremy durward]

The 1987 Larousse's bottom half is alluminium and I assume the 88 car was similar but I don't know for sure. .