Boeing and Renault.....

Makes sense... Boeing is about to build an all carbon fiber jetliner and Renault F1 is looking for any Aerodynamic advantage they can get.

 

Boeing has been comming up with little tweaks to the jetliners that increase lift reduce drag so that the planes can fly further while using less fuel. Airbus has tried to copy a few of the items with no luck. so there is more to it than adding a winglet or blending the tip of a wing back.

Lets see more down force, less drag just what every team is looking for Renault may look like they have a great Aero advantage but it is a compromise.

As for Boeing about the only 100% CF part they are making is the tail on the 777 they could use some one that is well versed in making strond compley shapes in CF as they plan to do the same with the 787 Dreamliner.

 

I doubt that Renault is using Boeing for much Aero work--cept' maybe CFD stuff and help with aerothermodynamics on engine cooling. Boeing really can't teach Renault anything about F1 aerodynamics-and Renault has better tunnel facilities than Boeing for this application.

More than likely the collaboration has to do with manufacturing composites structures. Boeing has massive experience in advanced fiber placement software and layup machinery due to their work on the V22 Osprey and Harrier programs. They have the state of the art in the world multiaxis CNC controlled fiber layup machines that they use to make V22 fuselages. Very impressive stuff.

Interesting combination--I went thru a similar experience with both Gurney's (with Northrup) and Rahals (with Boeing) We had discussed engineering collaboration while I was at both teams with an aerospace "giant". In each case the aero "giant" sent their people out to see what we were about and both times the response was the same:

1.) Your (race people) time lines are totally at odds with aerospace.
2.) Your process control and document/part control are non existent, relative to aerospace.
3.) Your people (race) work way too many hours for no pay. Cannot translate this to aerospace work due to Unions/Management structure.
4.) Your understanding of vehicle loads/aero forces are basic, relative to aerospace, with much engineering done on "instinct" or past experience. (All of which was, and is, true-even in F1 today!)
5.) Aerospace is driven by economics-Racing is driven by need to win.

Conclusion by aerospace "giants"--It's been a pleasure but we cannot really help each other out as much as people might think--cultures and basic company goals are too different.

It is interesting to note that Renault has signed with the "Phantom Works", which is a small, R&D facility that is used by Boeing for advanced concepts and the like. That partnership may work better.

PS: We did use some technology from Northrup on the Gurney GTP cars--Things like carbon fiber fasteners and adhesive systems. Offshoots of the B2 program!

 

If I were Boeing I'd be very leary of French Government supported racing teams offering Trojan horses when the same govenment supports an aviation competitor.

 

I've worked with Boeing on and off since 1981 on carbon fiber manufacturing technology. They know more than anybody in the world about how to design and build advanced carbon fiber structures.

 

EXACTLY!

A close friend of mine is a senior VP/director of IT with Boeing. He told me that Boeing personnel are not allowed to take their regular work laptops with them to France, especially during the Paris Airshow because corporate laptops are routinely seized by the French government on the pretext of searching for child pornography, but in fact, the French are checking files and copying hard drives to steal corporate secrets, and that industrial espionage directed at foreign corporations is coordinated and run through a special government office. He said this is a notorious problem for many companies that have business interests and operations in France, particularly those in high tech fields (like Boeing, biotech companies, and software companies)