Malcolm,
after a career in testing and designing stuff, take it from me...testing is
the most expensive way to deterine the properties of anything. I would say
that finding someone commected with a design firm that uses SAP or NASTRAN
structural design packages would be the best. The metal properties, or even
composite properties, can be input, with all the joint fixities and various
loads placed in different places to determine stress and strains. Then you
modify and keep "testing" you design using the software until sufficient
margins of safety are reached. This kind of design code has been used for a
very long time in such organizations as our NASA and Department of Defense
and it is generally pretty accurate. But, lots of places have this, such as
building designers, bridge designers, airplane designers, universities. A
little searching should lead you to someone who can help at a very nominal
fee...or none at all if a university...
mayf, the red necked ignorant desert rat in Pahrump...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Malcolm Pittwood" <MPittwood@compuserve.com>
To: "LSR List" <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 2:15 PM
Subject: Building to the Regs
> Thomas (aka 'Pork Pie') and Louise made the point that the cockpit on
> Spirit of America is strong in modern materials. My point was that
without
> a tubular roll cage construction in sight (or a letter from the Contest
> Board) the SCTA rule book had not been met and a tech official might have
> objected - or walked away scratching his/her head. Thrust SSC had no full
> cage either as I recall. But it may be academic as jets are not included
> in the SCTA rule book now!
>
> It is common practice in single seater and GT car racing to have full
> composite chassis and roll over protection and these are immensley strong
> and drivers have walked away from major crashes (sadly some have not).
How
> could such chassis stand up to the long and continuous crashes that can
> occur on the salt?
> Does anyone know what 'testing' could be done to show if such materials
> work as well as or better than steel tube?
>
> My interest is with a few UK racers (and one custom car builder) who are
> talking of/ thinking of making trips to the salt flats. Bluebird Electric
> have now got Thrust SSC systems engineer Jeremy Bliss as their Technical
> Director in the Automotive Group. Jerry also worked on the MGF project
and
> was working in the Wendover Airport hanger in '98 putting bits of it
> together. Watch out for Bluebird Electric III in 2003 perhaps, neither of
> the earlier cars could be made SCTA Tech compliant in my view. (But what
> do I know, I just organise record attempts!?)
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/// what is needed. It isn't that difficult, folks.
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