Aerokit concept

[ACCP]

I wish Indycar would release a 3D format of a blank Safetycell, they could make generic items and only solid filled interior so no protected data, but allow people to play.

I would love that. Even just an updated version of the concept render from the initial announcement 2 years ago. That would let me play around without needing to make up a whole car first.

Otherwise I think people will be in for a surprise how little difference there will be in Honda or Chevy body.. so much for brand identity.

Personally, I think there will be distinct differences between the Honda and Chevy. The Honda will need that vent coming out of the bellhousing, so I suspect that their airbox will look more like the current one (chopped off abruptly at the back), while Chevy will have more freedom to blend it back into the body. I also believe that the Wirth influence on the Honda will have an effect, and that the sidepods may flare back LMP style like the Dallara, whereas Chevy may go more conventional.

I will admit to being curious as to exactly what will be off limits. To my mind, the most distinctive part of the DW12 is the line of the main bodywork from the back of the cockpit to the rear wing. It is very low compared to IndyCars of yore. The removable piece of bodywork around the fuel nozzle could have a big effect on the look of the car, since right now it forces the main body line into that specific shape. If they let them change it...

[Glenn]

You want the coldest air possible entering the system, the colder the air the more dense it is and the more dense air means more air in the combustion chamber. More air in the combustion chamber means more fuel in the combustion chamber and that means bigger bang equalling more power.Intercoolers (cools the air entering the induction system and not the engine itself)are a little bulky and heavy for an open wheel application I've always been told. As far as how much the air is being heated, its auto racing and even just a few degrees is a big deal to the people who dont want it heated at all.

The methanol they used to use and the ethanol they use today has a lower flash point than gasoline and that helps with keeping the engine cool, thats why an indy car has such small radiators.

I don't think it's flash point, it's actually the latent heat of vaporization. Think of it as an evaporative cooler. When you evaporate the fuel it takes energy and that cools off the air. Not only does the ethanol suck more energy out of the air to evaporate, but you run it richer than gasoline, that is, you have more ethanol to evaporate than if you were running gasoline. I'm also not sure about the radiator sizes. It probably affects it a little, but it's the heat of the combustion chamber where most of the heat comes from and that's the heat you are trying to absorb with the radiator coolant.

And one of the interesting things about cooling the air charge to below ambient temps is at that point you really can't cool the cold air because you don't have a cooling source that is colder (since the ambient air is hotter than the air going into the engine). So as you can see, you really don't need intercoolers. I can remember hanging around my cousin's funny car in the old days (back in the 70's), it would form frost on the intake manifold.

[ACCP]

Updated my work a little, obviously adding shading/highlighting and details, but also tweaking some angles and components. Again, this is based on the idea that the aerokits would use the same wing elements, nose, undertray, rear bumper, and require an airbox:

[Hitokiri]

You're concept is so awesome not even the pages of TF can hold it back!!

[Nigel Red5]

So much better. The current sidepods are just hideous.
That airbox remids me of the early 90's F1 airboxes. I really don't like the flat angle and how the current airbox is just chopped off.
I'd like to see how small they can make the engine cover without the mandated air filter and intake housing up on top of the V6's and move the intakes and filters to the sidepods.
I'd almost rather see the indy spec bumpers and low wing on all tracks.

[WillMazeo]

Bro... if you remove the bumpers (or add one in Lola's style) it will be perfect!

[eastofeastside]

I have wondered how the rear kick plates would attach considering the mandate they extend all the way out to the edge of the rear wheel if they revert to that instead of the hideous fenders, which they hopefully do?

Do they attach at the most inward point of the rear of the side pod and extend all the way out, or are they kind of suspended at some point?

EDIT:

Do you know if those stupid anti-interlocking side wings at the front tip of the floor the DW12 currently has are series mandate or can they be altered in the aerokits? Some people noted in those big DW12 shots in the recent R&T article that it appeared to be woven in the carbon fiber of the under tray and thus not removable? I hope not because it might conflict and look stupid with different aerokit concepts.

So much better. The current sidepods are just hideous.
That airbox remids me of the early 90's F1 airboxes. I really don't like the flat angle and how the current airbox is just chopped off.
I'd like to see how small they can make the engine cover without the mandated air filter and intake housing up on top of the V6's and move the intakes and filters to the sidepods.
I'd almost rather see the indy spec bumpers and low wing on all tracks.

I'm so tired of seeing the car and having a mental association with 90's F1 or F3000. Whenever I bring up the airbox people bring up the split b.s. but I never got into that, which it has nothing to do with. Indycar just loses its identity of American open wheel with the airbox and just becomes "F1 lite" in the minds of some people. A lot of aero design creativity can be opened up if they lose the airbox and other practical benefits like improved weight distribution by moving the intakes and filters further up the sidepod as you suggest.

I'm not hopeful about seeing it next year, but it should happen eventually.

[ACCP]

I have wondered how the rear kick plates would attach considering the mandate they extend all the way out to the edge of the rear wheel if they revert to that instead of the hideous fenders, which they hopefully do?

Do they attach at the most inward point of the rear of the side pod and extend all the way out, or are they kind of suspended at some point?

Attached to the sidepod and extend out, in the vein of the Dallara road course concept from last year:

Do you know if those stupid anti-interlocking side wings at the front tip of the floor the DW12 currently has are series mandate or can they be altered in the aerokits? Some people noted in those big DW12 shots in the recent R&T article that it appeared to be woven in the carbon fiber of the under tray and thus not removable? I hope not because it might conflict and look stupid with different aerokit concepts.

Hoping they aren't because it would make certain aerokits look odd, but I believe it would still be workable with my design.

[eastofeastside]

Attached to the sidepod and extend out, in the vein of the Dallara road course concept from last year:

Okay, that seems like the best solution.

I was just wondering if anyone would try it Champcar Panoz style because of how wide the kick would have to be (due to the wide floor) it might look weird from certain angles if it were entirely attached like this: