Most liked posts in thread: DeltaWing in 2012 LeMans

Yep, it was just the camera falling off and going for a roll. I'm sure you'd normally leave that in the bit bucket but I figure they thought it would give the impression it came off because the car corners so well..... I say they just didn't use enough duct tape. :biggrin5:

 

I can't wait to see how the Top Gear junk yard DeltaWing turns out.





Yes, they're really doing it:

Coming soon: TG’s very own DeltaWing

 

Of course they are, it's Top Gear, that's what they do best. :yesnod:

 

The test day is this Sun (3 Jun) and some teams have already arrived and started to set up their cars. This will be the first real indicator whether the DeltaWing is actually on schedule and able to make the 24H (16-17 Jun).

 

Some of the Le Mans entrants posing for a pre-test group photo.

 

Number zero:



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edit: Apparently some people can't see this pic but you can clearly see the "0" designation in the pic above.

 

Here's a different angle that gives a better perspective of size relative to the other cars.

 

The DeltaWing ran today in the first test session on the pace with LM P2 cars, though the team claim they are on a conservative setup and not pushing at all. The goal so far has been to see that it is stable on Mulsanne Straight, etc, gather data, and put in enough laps to qualify the two drivers that needed a minimum of 10 laps each to qualify as eligible for the race.

 

2012 is the DeltaWing's year for the Pit Garage 56 technology demo entry but (FWIW) here is the car that's been given the "honor" for 2013, the Green GT H2. Though odd looking, this one isn't supposed to be demonstrating drag and aero related things like the DeltaWing. Its tech trick is that it's powered by a hydrogen cell and two electric motors driving the rear wheels.

 

DeltaWing on-track test pics here:

deltawing - Images - Le Mans Test Day - On*Track​

... report here:

deltawing - News - NISSAN DELTAWING COMPLETES STRONG DEBUT AT LE*MANS​

 

I'm still trying to figure out how this works. When they pitched the concept to the ACO, the ACO approved but only given certain design goals, including a 3min 45sec lap time target. The others design goals we heard about earlier; half the drag, half the fuel, half the power, etc. The DeltaWing folks claim the car was then built to spec with a 3:45 target (and they're happy to be only about 2sec shy so far in testing).

I don't understand why the ACO would establish a lap time expectation for a technology demonstrator / experimental car, and why that particular time?

Meh, it's probably just a reasonable goal, as in no slower than 3:45 so the thing will be able to keep up with the other prototypes. That puts it in the mid-range of the known LM P2 lap time ball park.

I'm so accustomed to the ACO setting and changing rules over the years in order to try to control who does how well that I'm looking for conspiracy between the lines. Like..."we don't want you to go any faster than 3:45 so we'll know you can't embarrass any of the big boys" (P1).

No need to question whether they ever had a snowball's chance of hanging with the P1s, my point is why would the ACO overtly establish a time / speed target that's clearly below the P1 mark?

:skep: I'm looking for conspiracy for no reason, right?