When will they test the theoretical downforce of an F1 car upside-down?

[Jax Humanhater]

Physics is my favourite subject, and, they say that F1 cars have enough downforce to drive upside-down, but, have they ever tested the theory of a car driving upside-down.

I would hope they can make it safe enough to experiment one day just in case the car falls down.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

You don´t need to. Unless you want to simply show it off but there´s no doubt it will stick to a roof over a given speed.

Windtunnels have scales on each tire. Crank up the wind tunnel and you get data on just how much downforce the car is producing roughly, give or take for real world always being different in the finer details.

The cars weigh around 660kg and produce well over a 1000kg of downforce if i´m not mistaken.

 

[Victor Ivanov]

A 1000 with or without the car's own weight?

 

[Hampus Andersson]

A 1000 with or without the car's own weight?

1000kg pure aerodynamic force.
so subtract the weight of the car and you would have around 400kg of aerodynamoc force pushing the car up to the roof.

but the 1K figure is just an approximate.
i think at near top speed its probably over 1,5 tonnes.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Ok so i asked Scarbs and he said that it will produce it´s own weight at 100mph.
So that´s 660kg-ish at 100mph.

160km/h for the euros.

 

[Kevin McDonald]

Why haven't they done it yet though? Is the logistics just not worth the effort? Have they nowhere to try it? It would be a great promotion for F1 for sure.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Long time ago since i heard anything but there was some talk of not finding a tunnel and driver.
Tunnel i heard later they had found but i guess it´s a lot of work.

 

[Ron Squire]

if we make this theory on Bobs Track Builder and run it with rfactor and see if this theory will work

 

[Hampus Andersson]

if we make this theory on Bobs Track Builder and run it with rfactor and see if this theory will work

See if it works in Rfactor or use Rfactor to validate this extremely basic theory?

 

[Ron Squire]

both

 

[Kevin McDonald]

But I'm sure rFactor doesn't actually simulate the air forcing the car to the ground it only gives more grip as speed increases thus the car wouldn't go up side down.

Oh, and we can't "make" this theory, it's already been "made" (thought). Hence this very discussion...

 

[Ron Squire]

we can't "make" this theory, it's already been "made" (thought). Hence this very discussion...

where is the evidence

 

[Kevin McDonald]

where is the evidence

It's a theory, there doesn't have to be evidence as long as, in this case, it's rational in the physics' world.

 

[Ron Squire]

why not test the theory

 

[Kevin McDonald]

why not test the theory

Long time ago since I heard anything but there was some talk of not finding a tunnel and driver.

 

[Ron Squire]

yes some talk but no play which means the theory hasnt been tested

 

[Kevin McDonald]

yes some talk but no play which means the theory hasnt been tested

Yes, but why do they really have to? Bit of a waste of time actually.

 

[Ron Squire]

but it would be well spent

 

[Hampus Andersson]

where is the evidence

I honestly have no idea how to tackle a response like that.
I´m still pinching myself in the arm wondering if it really say that.

 

[Kevin McDonald]

So, instead of using engineer's time for things electric car developments and making motor-sport more eco-friendly let's put a car upside down for a few seconds where a slight driver error could cause death. Sounds like a plan...