The fact that it's used effectively doesn't make me less confused about why it works. The problem is I couldn't get the phrase "gold reflects heat" to sit well on my brain. As a metal it conducts heat well, better than aluminum, so it didn't seem right to think of it as a barrier to heat by any method. I had to rub the little gray cells together a bit to bring the old physics and thermodynamics memories back to life. It's really just a matter of semantics. We're talking about "radiant heat" here (a term that would cause my old Profs to cringe) which, as electromagnetic energy (like infrared), can be reflected. Then it's all down to absorptivity and emissivity characteristics of different materials and polished gold is as good as it gets.
Don't know about the rest of you but I enjoyed the race, even without rain. How about Petrov's wild ride? That could have had a MUCH worse ending!
Petrov got some good air, that's for sure! Hope he didn't suffer from the landing like his steering column did! Entertaining race, especially considering the weather! _Dave_
There was some discussion about whether it broke before the corner, causing the off, or as a result of the off. Either way that's about the highest I've seen an F1 car off the road since Webbo's flyover contretemps with Vettel! I thought it was actually a pretty good race, and it seems the KERs and DRS can make a difference on the right track. Good strategy certainly played it's part, and it was fun trying to guess what Red Bull meant with their Phase One and tire wear A vs B comments over the air.....
I also thought it was a good race. That start & first turn were amazing. Yep Petrov is one lucky boy. Yikes! Breaking suspension pieces in practice & broken steering in the race. Do these cars go through a safety inspection?
The race was good. I actually watched it life at 1 a.m. Ran out of beer with about 18 laps to go, but I hung in there till the end.
The wheel broke because of the accident. He was under control until he hit that drainage ditch........or as under control as he could have been....LOL And it was a very good race to watch. Lots of action back in the pack, especially around Kobayashi.
Guess well have to wait & see what a postmortem on Petrov's car shows. I sure hope it broke after his X Games shunt & not before.
Just saw an in-cockpit replay of Petrov's flight... The steering wheel was clearly intact and working right up until he landed, then just snapped loose from the cockpit... Attached screencap does not show cockpit view, but WOW! _Dave_
I've watched it a few times at different speeds and his wheel was still firm until he landed directly on top of the curbing so hard he bounced high enough to get air a second time for 3 of his 4 tires. As he left the track it looked a little like his steering input might have been not making it through 100% to the front wheels but the column was at least solid and in place until he bounced off the curbing.
Lots of great action, enjoyed all the above What was up with Massa?, he seemed to get possessed there for awhile about mid race, took out Webber and then kind of fell back in the flow
Ummm, taking a chance with this one, made me chuckle...though I admit a few references are a bit inside-(British)-joke-ish to me... by Maurice Hamilton, author of twenty books, including 'Williams: The legendary story of Frank Williams and his F1 team in their own words: The Greatest Story in British Motor-racing Told by Those Who Were There' Statue of limitations (grandprix.com)
Petrov's Wild Ride. Ignore the audio, the video quality is pretty good on this one. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1yrhxfC9iM]YouTube - Vitaly Petrov Crash Malaysia 2011[/ame]
LOL.....video pulled by FOM. And it was a wild ride for sure. Never seen an F1 car get that much air and stay right side up.
I found this in the Pegasus catalog and it might help explain things a bit more . Part No.: 1838-Size Self Adhesive GOLD Reflective Heat Barrier Film Our Gold Reflective Film has excellent heat reflective characteristics, yet it is very thin and easy to install. Capable of reflecting 78% of all radiant heat while withstanding continuous operating temperatures of 675° Fahrenheit (357° C) for a minimum of 8 hours. Made from metalized polyamide polymer laminated glass cloth, with a special high temperature pressure sensitive adhesive. This film is very lightweight at only 5 ounces per square yard, and is easy to apply. The minimum air gap to heat source is just 1mm. Sold by the running foot from a roll that is 24 inches wide. Note: We've had a few customers ask us if this Reflective Heat Barrier Film contains real gold. Frankly we don't know what metallic elements are contained in this gold colored film. However, we suspect that it does not contain real gold. What we DO know is that it works extremely well. We've been selling this product for several years and have heard nothing but rave reviews from those who are using it! The list of users includes many of the top teams in the highest echelons of racing.