Quote:
Originally Posted by Darcydog
I’m not a materials science expert by any means but I was told by a very knowledgeable man who certainly was an expert in aircraft wing design that any wing type structure that did not flex had a short life until it broke off or broke up.
Not sure how any wing type structure can not flex?
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F1 wings all have deflection built in, for the reason you describe, but these have proscribed tests, and obviously they have to meet these requirements. There are various directional load tests - I havent read of a pulling load test, but I imagine there will be, as the forces pushing on it would be massive, and therefore any breakage could be catastrophic to a following car. I remember teams experimenting with flexible wings that flattened under load to reduce drag (mainly the front). These were tested for and outlawed. However, I do reckon they are capable of finding loopholes either via interpretation or by manipulating known material properties.
It is interesting who leaked it publicly though - Hamilton, a non engineer, 'mentioning' it. It gives deniability to Mercedes, but at the same time, winds up the Red Bull team. This is a tactic Red Bull have used in the past, add a little doubt, puts scrutiny on the accused team. If it is proved incorrect, then it can be denied as Hamilton misunderstanding a debriefing comment. It is without class, in my view, but that is unsurprising.