Delta Wing Project

[Stu]

Dr Jonathon Palmer at Goodwood in 94. Article on 6 wheelers at http://8w.forix.com/sixwheelers.html. Last paragraph sums it up for me.

[Nordic]

March built a similar car but most people thought of it as a leg pull, and I don't think it ever actually ran.  The FIA did finally put the kabosh on more than six wheels in 1982.
Fax

While it never raced in F1 in period, it was used by Roy Lane as a Hill climb car. Think once he got it working it even won a round.

There are 2 6 wheel march's around, a 2nd has been built up using spares and a genuine std car. This is the car that was run last year in historic F1.

Back in the late 60's BRM were bored with conventional 4 wheel cars thinking they did not have enough to go wrong and were under engineered, so drew up a 7 wheeled car. It never ran.
 

[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed Rhino, the smaller rear wheels would have made it a bullet down the Mistral.  That was much same same idea Gerek Gardner had for the P34, with the ultra small front wheels, smaller frontal area and all.  But the funny thing about it was, they didn't realize the forces created by the much higher rotation of the little wheels, and the first time Patrick Depailler went bombing down the Hanger Staright at Silverstone, the tires almost sucked themslves right off the rims, Gardner said it scared the living crap out those present to witness the first test of the car.  Didn't realize the March ever actually competed.  I understand the first time they tested it the gearbox broke, and it effectively became a two wheel drive car with four wheels.
Hands down the most bizarre take on the six wheeled idea was Ferrari's 312T2 that had four front wheels at the rear, but they were mounted attached to each other, side by side.  I think it was actually tested at Fiorano.  Would have been a bitch to try and overtake...
Fax
Found this article about the 312T6 as it was known http://f1nostalgia.blogspot.com/2008/09/projetos-no-concretizados-ferrari-312t6.html
Fax

[Lorry]

I'll dig up Roy Lane's book, as it mentions the March.  Plus I'm an expert on this as I have the Scalextrix version.

From memory, March lent the gearbox to Lane and he entered several National events, and probably won then.  It did seem to work, but hillclimbing benefits from the extra traction.  However, it didn't seem any quicker than 2WD, and was unreliable (underdeveloped), so the car was converted back to standard.

Having 4 wheels at the back would have caused scrubbing on tight corners, like an artic trailer round a sharp corner, so it must have had loads of understeer.

[lofty]

strange the p34 was the last one of kens  cars to run in anger before he died.even stranger it went straight instead of turning left.thus crashing.

[Lorry]

You'd have thought that with 4 steered wheels, it would be sh*t hot at going round corners rather than avoiding them.

I think that the funny little tyres didn't help.  When they restored one of them for racing, didn't they have trouble finding tyres?

[Kristof]

http://twitter.com/#!/highcroftracing/status/179348038433783808/photo/1

@highcroftracing: London calling. Big news coming out of the UK tomorrow. #lm24 #deltawing http://t.co/rYzLLFl9

Will they use it as a mobile chicane at Sebring ?







< cleaned up the link to make it clickable - Steve >

[Nordic]

Nissan engine in the delta wing.

Will it run at Sebring?

[Barry]

Will it run at Sebring?

Well it's there for demo runs, so I suppose it could.

[Nordic]

Fingers crossed for a safe take off and landing then!

[Grand_Fromage]

[Grand_Fromage]

Click through to Highcroft site. http://www.highcroftracing.com/news/2012/3/13/nissan-to-power-deltawing.html

[termietermite]

I wanted to really hate it but... it does't actually look too bad.  Not that that means anything but it can help.   Interesting times ahead.

[Brad Zarse]

That looks to me like it has 4 wheels in total....

I know I've been quite vocal about wanting to see it run first, but I am upgrading my opinion to "I really hope it kicks some butt!"  - That looks really cool in black.....

[Steve Pyro]

That looks to me like it has 4 wheels in total....

I thought it always has had 4 wheels - never 3.