Jordan's new Sidepod winglets

[Try Hard]

Hi guys, noticed this in Autosport today (in the Giorgio Piola Tech Focus) and saw that Jordan were running a winglet in front of the sidepods, mounted on the chassis, above where the turning vanes are placed.
I've had a little hunt around, and seen that they were only run on Timo's car on the friday and can be seen here

chassis winglets
and here
Chassis winglets 2
and here
Chassis winglets 3

It looks like they are shaped around the sidepod air intake, and their function is probably more for airflow control than downforce generation, mainly becaus e they seem very close to the leading face of the sidepod.

Any thoughts?
Ed

[jhansen]

I would tend to agree with you. Their function seems to be for airflow control. But, as my aero engineering skills are on the shallow side of novice, I'm not sure where they would be directing airflow to. Something to remedy the very nervous behavior of the car no doubt.

[BootsOntheSide]

That seems believable JHansen. It's nice to see that a small team is still coming up with improvements and innovations mid-season. If it was effective at Hockenheim, maybe we'll see it on the car for the races in Hungary - I suspect that either a) they weren't yet certain of its performance, and wanted to test it further before the ban, or b) they wanted to be clear as to its legality before racing it.

[Kicking-back]

Most likely it was being tested as you suggest.

We should see it on all three Jordans come Hungary.

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Most likely it was being tested as you suggest.

We should see it on all three Jordans come Hungary.

Can they afford to build 3 sets (plus spares)?

[gttouring]

"Jordan's new Sidepod winglets...."don't help


"Jordan's new Sidepod winglets...."don't work
"Jordan's new Sidepod winglets...." look funny, and are soon to be deemed illegal...


what are the side pod regulations concerning wings? and how far forward can the side pod extend? it seems like a piece from the dallara/Gforce playbook for guiding air into the radiator and to help it off the front tyres so the whole car produces downforce-i guess

[Try Hard]

IIRC that particular area of the car is free, bar a maximum height of 600mm above the reference plane, and also the minimum chassis width dimensions.

As gt says, I agree it probably helps smooth disturbed airflow of the front tyres, and hence smoothing it's flow over the rest of the pod, whilst also splitting the air more effectivly between air going over the pod, and air going through it. And you never know, it's profile may even help produce downforce.... the cars need it, they look so nervous on track, especially under braking (at least single lap qualy is good for something )

Ed

[Kicking-back]

The sidepods can extend a lot further forward than Jordans do, so it's certainly legal.

[gttouring]

oh and the barge boards encrouchon the lower suspension too!
not like the flyalones like on ferrari and sauber and others
check pic three

[Nizmo32_josh]

Why in all 3 pics does Timo have no front wing? did Timo do a naughty?

[Logrence]

I was just about to ask the same thing...must make it a little bit difficult to judge how effective the mods are when you're missing the front of the car.

The mechanics in the pics don't seem to be in a hurry to change his nose cone though.

[DKGandBH]

They might not want the front wing to disrupt the airflow to get a baseline reading.
then they add the front wing and see the difference.

this may be down to measuring a new front wings effectiveness...???

DKGandBH

[Giando]

I suggest these elements may work in combination with the elements mounted right below them, at the beginning of the sidepods (Bar have these parts, too); also, they have in fact to be "shaded" by those elements following the rules on (how do you call it?) flat ground (?) (I mean lower bodywork). Maybe the combination of them creates a channel to increase airflow speed into the sidepods. (see photo attached)

And they should also clean off turbulences generated by the front tyres and increase the quality of the general "upper" airflow of the car.

And anyway, watching their shape, they surely add at least a little downforce, without increasing the front section of the car.

Very interesting.

[josvandeperre]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
Can they afford to build 3 sets (plus spares)?

More advertising space obviously - no aerodynamic effect at all......

[Glen]

Considering that Jordan have had a few engine failures, I'd say that part of the function may well be to better manage cooling air into the radiators. If there is an error in the chassis design which gives insufficient cooling this would be a far cheaper way to fix it (rather than re-develop the chassis).

[Kicking-back]

He did have a front wing when he went onto the track - they were merely pictures taken without it!

[Cougar]

In this pic WINGLET 2 he is on track and no front wing... but he does have ONE vertical strut? Also the other 2 pics he has clean tyres on so I dont think he broke it...

[Kicking-back]

Very bizarre

[Try Hard]

Right Timo did go off the track, as in the second pic, the other strut has been broken off (you can see the other struts stub on the nose still.
They are not new tyres on the car, as you can see from the mechanics in the other two pics that the car has just come in. In pic one it's being pushed back into the garage, in pic 3 the mechnanic on the left is connecting up the tyre blankets, that have just been put on the tyres.
I can tell you for a fact, that when the car comes back in, even after an off, and the tyres only have a few laps on them, they will imediatly get the cover put on, to keep the temps up, incase the car is going to be going out again soon. Which in the case of a Friday practise session would be quite soon.

So basically your just looking at the aftermath of a Timo off....

Hope that sorts it all out.

And Giando the term I think your looking for is the Shadow plate rulling, in that anything that when veiwed from the underneath, no bodywork should be visable, as the floor should block it.
Remember this is a rule that Ferrari and the FIA got caught up on in 99 at Malaysia.

And thanks for pointing it out, I'd forgotten about that one, that would affect the shape of the upper winglet, unless the lower one (the turning vane) is re-shaped.

Ed

[Giando]

Ed/Try Hard wrote: "And thanks for pointing it out, I'd forgotten about that one, that would affect the shape of the upper winglet, unless the lower one (the turning vane) is re-shaped."

Yes, exactly.

Thanks for the "language" info!!!!

:-)

[Lotusonpole]

They may well scoop up extra air and direct it through the sidepods; the end plates tend to add weight there.
Also air that goes over them may well help the flow over the rest of the bodywork....but who knows for sure?

It will be interesting to see if the make a reapperance and if they are indeed deemed illegal.

It would be a pity if they are...as I can only echo the reply stating its good to see a small team being innovative.

Any areo boffins amongst us?
Cheers
Peter