42 replies to this topic

[AlexS]

Despite all track and gravel Zhou Alfa Romeo still got much energy and only the flipping and jump really took a lot energy of it. What if cars had a deployable parachute to slow them down?  This could only be activated outside track.

[Myrvold]

A parachute that will work in all 360 degrees and on the wheels, on the side and upside down?

[Spillage]

Where would you mount such a device? It's very ahrd to predict the direction in which someobdy will lose control.

[pup]

Picturing a field of cars tangled up in someone’s parachute. Seems safe.

[AlexS]

Only deployable outside the track. The idea is that it will not be far from car.

Edited by AlexS, 04 July 2022 - 14:55.

[pup]

I want to see full car airbags instead. Car goes off the track and *poof* it becomes a giant bouncy ball that the crowd can punt back to the pits.

[PayasYouRace]

Not to mention the added danger of the pyrotechnics needed to deploy such a questionable device.

Let’s stick with the big energy absorbing barriers that work really well as long as something doesn’t launch the car in the air.

[Broekschaap]

Oops sorry wrong button. I don't think you can implement such a device in a safe and workable way.

[smitten]

Have you ever felt the wind at Silverstone?  I'm sure the marshals would thank you for having to deal with a flapping parachute threatening to blow across the track or trip them up.

[ARTGP]

Not to mention the added danger of the pyrotechnics needed to deploy such a questionable device.

Let’s stick with the big energy absorbing barriers that work really well as long as something doesn’t launch the car in the air.

Iirc, the Mercedes SLS AMG had explosive material in the door hinges that would be detonated in the event of a crash to make sure the gull wing doors could be removed in the event of a rollover accident so the driver could get out.

Also, many cars have explosives in the seatbelt pretensioner and the airbags that go off during collision. Explosives deploying in an accident strangely isnt the difficult part here.

To me the hard part is not knowing how the car will crash as parachutes only work in certain ways and a lot of risk that the chute just gets entangled with the car itself since you cannot predict crash trajectories. Then we start talking about multiple parachutes deploying in different directions to try and compensate for the unpredictability and it quickly gets out of hand.

Edited by ARTGP, 04 July 2022 - 16:03.

[Diablobb81]

Gave me a good chuckle.

[Ali_G]

Securefoam maybe as used in Demolition Man?

[Dara]

how about 360° thrusters that fire in the correct direction to slow a car down of G force goes over a certain number?

[pacwest]

The NHRA has entered the chat

[cpbell]

Iirc, the Mercedes SLS AMG had explosive material in the door hinges that would be detonated in the event of a crash to make sure the gull wing doors could be removed in the event of a rollover accident so the driver could get out.

Also, many cars have explosives in the seatbelt pretensioner and the airbags that go off during collision. Explosives deploying in an accident strangely isnt the difficult part here.

To me the hard part is not knowing how the car will crash as parachutes only work in certain ways and a lot of risk that the chute just gets entangled with the car itself since you cannot predict crash trajectories. Then we start talking about multiple parachutes deploying in different directions to try and compensate for the unpredictability and it quickly gets out of hand.

Yes, that's the unworkable part.

[Brian60]

The NHRA has entered the chat

I was about to add its not a dragster, but NHRA is close enough   By the way parachutes on dragsters are deployed by air canisters not pyrotechnics.

[AlexS]

Have you ever felt the wind at Silverstone?  I'm sure the marshals would thank you for having to deal with a flapping parachute threatening to blow across the track or trip them up.

Like i said the parachute will be near the car.

[ThadGreen]

It's the 4th July, not the1st April.

[ExFlagMan]

Maybe it is a good idea - just make the parachute automatically deployed if a car leaves the 'black bit' - would make perfect solution to the track limits problem.

[Primo]

I'm thinking it should be something more like a missile defense system - when a car is launched into a protected airspace, cannons should fire big guided pillows towards it.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Ejector seats for each grandstand seat if a car flies towards them.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Re: airbags, didn’t they explore this years ago but found that they didn’t deploy fast enough for F1?

[jjcale]

Despite all track and gravel Zhou Alfa Romeo still got much energy and only the flipping and jump really took a lot energy of it. What if cars had a deployable parachute to slow them down?  This could only be activated outside track.

 

Not a fans of this idea ... but keep thinking outside the box, Alex.

[Bliman]

I want to see full car airbags instead. Car goes off the track and *poof* it becomes a giant bouncy ball that the crowd can punt back to the pits.

you are on a roll today

[tampaguy]

Why not just ban all motor sports ! 

[Dolph]

Don't be crazy, lets just ban parachuting and were done with this.

[Victor]

All drivers should be so fat thayt they would become their one airbag. This is my suggestion.

[BoDarvelle]

Just have them race simulators. Then everyone is safe.

[Beri]

"Motorsport can be dangerous and can cause serious harm. Despite organisers taking all necessary precautions, unavoidable accidents can happen. In respect to this, you are present at your own risk."

[Redaxo]

This thread has potential.

[GiorgioF1]

Edited by GiorgioF1, 05 July 2022 - 06:36.

[AlexS]

Not a fans of this idea ... but keep thinking outside the box, Alex.

Ok, aircraft carriers have elastic barriers that stop >20t aircraft in a short space. F1 cars weight 800kg or so.

 

So we can put elastic barriers at end of straights were cars get on higher speed.

[PayasYouRace]

Ok, aircraft carriers have elastic barriers that stop >20t aircraft in a short space. F1 cars weight 800kg or so.

So we can put elastic barriers at end of straights were cars get on higher speed.

We have those. They’re usually made of old tyres, or a more modern one called Tecpro.

[JimmyClark]

Parachutes would introduce completely new forces in a crash, that would cause far more problems than they solve.

[Sash1]

A large amount of kitty litter from the edge of the track to the fence, instead of a mile of asphalt first, would have slowed it down properly.

[Beri]

Ok, aircraft carriers have elastic barriers that stop >20t aircraft in a short space. F1 cars weight 800kg or so.

 

So we can put elastic barriers at end of straights were cars get on higher speed.

 

Pretty sure that steel cable is not as elastic as you describe it to be.

[JimmyClark]

A large amount of kitty litter from the edge of the track to the fence, instead of a mile of asphalt first, would have slowed it down properly.

Yep. A combination of no roll hoop and the asphalt meant hardly any speed was scrubbed. If the roll hoop had remained intact and the gravel was there, we would have had some spectacular barrel rolls (like Wurz in 98) but much of the energy would have gone by the time he reached the wall.

[CoolBreeze]

Not gonna work. If anything, this is a more dangerous proposal. 

[Gravelngrass]

Or simply don’t have people racing fast things anymore…

[William Hunt]

imagine the parachute accidently opens up on a straight suddenly slowing the car down and blocking the view of drivers behind

Edited by William Hunt, 06 July 2022 - 03:00.

[pup]

How about we combine the parachute idea with the airbag concept - if the car leaves the track, it deploys a giant helium balloon and floats off to the next race.

[Casey]

How about a huge boat anchor on a rope released from the car in case of an emergency ?

 

 

[PayasYouRace]

 

Iirc, the Mercedes SLS AMG had explosive material in the door hinges that would be detonated in the event of a crash to make sure the gull wing doors could be removed in the event of a rollover accident so the driver could get out.

That’s not the point. It would still be an added safety concern which would need addressing. Even with the alternative suggested below.

 

I was about to add its not a dragster, but NHRA is close enough   By the way parachutes on dragsters are deployed by air canisters not pyrotechnics.

Both options would be adding an unnecessary complication for a completely silly idea. Perhaps I didn’t need to mention these things at all because the idea is terrible on multiple fronts.

 

 

Like i said the parachute will be near the car.

How near is near? It has to be big enough to have a worthwhile effect on slowing the car, which means having long lines to match. That also means it would take time to fill and at that point the car would probably be in the wall anyway.

 

Sorry. I guess you’ll have to put this idea in the bin.