(fr0m autosport) Red Bull Racing caused a surprise on the first day of this week's test at Barcelona in Spain when they ran a radical engine cover fin on their new RB4. At the car's launch last month, Red Bull drew criticism that their new car was too similar to its predecessor. Only the car's new diffuser and attention to its reliability issues had been obvious developments. The team had promised several aerodynamic updates, however, although few had predicted the solution that ran today. The top of the engine cover extends horizontally from the top of the roll hoop all the way to the rear wing. The new fin will likely be aimed at helping lateral stability, with flow from the rear wing being affected when the car slides. The new more extreme tail looks to be a work around for the fin shrouding the rear wing. As the fin is undercut, the flow to the wing can continue when the car slides, leaving the upper part of the fin high above the rear wing to provide the lateral stability. The solution aids the car's stability particularly on corner entry, which is important this year, as the loss of the engine braking control on the single ECU makes the cars less stable. This fin could go some way to recovering some of the lost stability. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The alien's head from the movie Independence Day comes to my mind. I guess if it works.............. How you been Brian?
I seem to recall Penske running a lateral fin off the air intake in their later days in CART. It didn't really aid their lateral stability as it was designed to and later abandoned. This aero "improvement" reminds me a lot of Williams walrus tusks from a few years back in terms of aesthetic apeal.
Been busy with work Ron. i'm moving out tomoro. hope to get things settled by this weekend. Thanks for asking, and have a great weekend ahead.
Hmmm...... Somewhere between a 59 Cadillac and the anvil airbox on the Lotus 72. And here I was thinking a modern F1 car couldn't get any uglier. Kurt O.
If IRC these actually started showing up on the Formula Atlantics in 92/93 and then the Cart cars started to use them. I think it was the RALT that first used it.
To me it looks like something off of a hydroplane in the 50's and 60's. although some of them had a bend in the last part do to help them make left hand turns I think.
Seems quite logical, that this is probably the closest they can get to actually having a movable aero device.
