BMW FW26 Nose

[big ears]

Why is the BMW FW26 nose more aerodymic efficent than last years? Does more air get stucked under the car?

[Adam43]

Obviously the principle reasoning was efficiency (isn't it always?)

Patrick Head http://www.autosport.com/newsitem.asp?id=25639&s=5
It is not a styling exercise, We have eliminated part of the nose above the front wing. It allows more freedom for the airflow. It is to minimise drag and increase downforce. You have to maximise every part of the package to win in F1. Once the concept was established, the biggest work was to satisfy the crash test requirements.

In essence I think that it aids the flow of air around the car in the same way that barge-boards, turning veins and the front wing end plates already do. The Williams wesbite seems to indicate this too:

www.williams-f1.com
The FW26 features a distinctively short nose cone, with the the front wing main plane and associated assemblies mounted on extended 'tusks'. The startling interpretation of the front profile has been conceived in tandem with a twin keel monocoque design, aiding air flow both under and over the front geometries of the car, and improving global aerodynamics right through to the rear wing of the FW26. The front profiles of the car are augmented by a narrower sidepod footprint, enabled by revised cooling packaging, all assisting aerodynamic performance.

[big ears]

Thanks, Do you think that the wing will be as strong as last years becasue they are using curves rather than straight poles.

[Adam43]

The strength of these fabrications has become better over the last few years (in a similar way to the argument that this is why the twin keel concept is now more used).

My guess is that it'll be fine, which is why they are doing it. Williams will have considered, calculated and tested that it works.

Also looking at the concept it looks like it might be as strong as what they had before.

http://www.f1racing.net/photogallery.php3?id=601

OLD FW25:
.

[Adam43]

NEW FW26:
.

[avsfan733]

if you look at a side-ish shot of the nose, it looks like it has bolts holding the wing to the nose so one could ask the question wether they can move it up and down in relation to the nose, it also looks almost like it has two adjustable sections like a vertical stabilizer on the back of each tusk

[Try Hard]

just a quick note. It looks like the front wing is different from the launch version...

no dip in the middle, or is that just me?

[THR]

you might be right try hard, thing the teams just shove anything on the show car, the real car is often about to test somewhere.
also far harder to photo sumin on a track than on a perfectly lit stage.

looks good to me, be interesting to see if its copied. renault have said they will be trying it out in the wind tunnel at the very least!
williams will of course have the upper hand on the first race or two.
must be better for them to run it in the first place.
looks stronger tho.
and i think the bolts are just to pyshically hole the wing to the nose, they will be properly located and not moveable, perhaps they just cant mould it all into one like b4. or its stronger.
they did loose a few wings last year!
new car looking good in tests this week

[Try Hard]

Originally posted by avsfan733
if you look at a side-ish shot of the nose, it looks like it has bolts holding the wing to the nose so one could ask the question wether they can move it up and down in relation to the nose, it also looks almost like it has two adjustable sections like a vertical stabilizer on the back of each tusk

I saw thoose two, i recokn they are probably used to create a vortice off the support over the wing, to help extract the air flowing underneth or over the top etc. Don't know if i'm correct in assuming that though.

Ed

[big ears]

Could the angle of the nose be changed with these bolts?

[avsfan733]

I'm thinking there must be a reason those bolts are there because when they do a nose change they change the entire thing not just front wing portion...could that be a change now?

[big ears]

Most of the time the cone also gets damage, which wont help.