Wings n things.., Track rats with wings..what are you using? Options

[Mr. Olympic Blue 2 You]

I'm working on a track car that will primarily be used for hillclimbs and track events (high speed stuff) with autocross being secondary.

I've been studying and researching aero modifications till I'm dizzy and wondered what options others are using besides the GT racing predator wing?

If you have real world experience I'd love to hear what you're using, mounting tips/ pics, and thoughts in general.

I'll be running in classes dictated by displacement only, so rules will not be a limiting factor to size, shape etc.

Thanks for your time,
Andrew

[Mugs914]

It is relatively simple to make whatever you want using readily available foam cores.

There are a lot of outfits out there that cut foam cores (primarily for model planes) either from an airfoil catalog on their website or custom to your specs. Basically take the cores they send and wrap them in a couple of layers of fibreglass or carbon and you are good to go. It is nice in that you can build the mounts into the wing anywhere you want and have thousands of airfoils available. Polyester resins will eat the foam, but lay it up with epoxy and you'll be fine.

Try this:

http://www.flyingfoam.com/

Flying Foam is the place I use. As an example I just got a main wing and flap 48" wide (a touch wider than a 914 deck lid), and paid less than $50 including the shipping. Now, there is still all of the layup to do, but it will still come in cheaper than most of the available composite wings and is more appropriate to the application.

For whatever it may be worth... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

Mugs

[naro914]

It is relatively simple to make whatever you want using readily available foam cores.

There are a lot of outfits out there that cut foam cores (primarily for model planes) either from an airfoil catalog on their website or custom to your specs. Basically take the cores they send and wrap them in a couple of layers of fibreglass or carbon and you are good to go. It is nice in that you can build the mounts into the wing anywhere you want and have thousands of airfoils available. Polyester resins will eat the foam, but lay it up with epoxy and you'll be fine.

Try this:

http://www.flyingfoam.com/

Flying Foam is the place I use. As an example I just got a main wing and flap 48" wide (a touch wider than a 914 deck lid), and paid less than $50 including the shipping. Now, there is still all of the layup to do, but it will still come in cheaper than most of the available composite wings and is more appropriate to the application.

For whatever it may be worth... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

Mugs

Hey Mugs
while I agree one can be made, if you mount the wing way on the ends where the trunk/fender gap is, you REALLY need to strengthen it up so it doesn't bend in the middle. that's what was happening to ours - people following me said it was bending down in the middle big time. We had to put a steel rod inside down the leading edge to keep it from bending. I guess it's generating a lot of downforce, pushing the middle down somehow. In fact, you could push down the middle and bend it without a lot of effort just standing there. If it's mounted closer to the middle maybe it wouldn't happen...

[Mugs914]

[quote name='naro914' date='Sep 30 2015, 04:50 AM' post='2245330']

[/quote]
Hey Mugs
while I agree one can be made, if you mount the wing way on the ends where the trunk/fender gap is, you REALLY need to strengthen it up so it doesn't bend in the middle. that's what was happening to ours - people following me said it was bending down in the middle big time. We had to put a steel rod inside down the leading edge to keep it from bending. I guess it's generating a lot of downforce, pushing the middle down somehow. In fact, you could push down the middle and bend it without a lot of effort just standing there. If it's mounted closer to the middle maybe it wouldn't happen...


[/quote]

I've noticed that the GT wings do tend to be a bit flexy. You aren't the first one to have that problem, I've seen quite a few over the years and they all seem to bow a bit.

If you get the layup right you can make something that is every bit as stiff as you need to eliminate the flex. Adding a spar to the core will obviously help as well. Th guys at Flying Foam are happy to cut a full span hole for a tubular spar or slot for a blade-type spar. A carbon tube (or aluminum for about 1/10 the price) down the middle makes the thing as stiff as a surfboard.

For the particular application that I was mentioning above, the wing and flap will be supported at the tips with two hinged supports between the wing and flap. The main wing element is pretty thin (the car is a GT5 four cylinder), but I'm pretty sure we can make it stiff enough to not require a central support. If needed it will be very easy to add after the fact and won't need to be much more than a thin blade.

I haven't started on the layup yet, but the cores are here and I'll try to get a few pics posted here a bit later. I'm still paying the price for being away at Rennsport. Four days of work to catch up on! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Mugs