PART 5 - ENTER THE DRAGON

 

 

The aero modifications are completed in a rush of activity. Dermott turns the solid alloy lumps into appropriate and rather lighter supports for the rear wing, which with suitable bracing inside the boot aperture does now allow for considerable force to be exerted on the rear end without breaking something.

 

A little flimsy laterally, but onboard footage from any of the wings and slicks brigage always seems to show that, the compromise between strength and drag has to be reached somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The front splitter was rather less simple. Left to his own devices, a Lyddall will do a good number of things quite effectively, another good number of things in a more haphazard manner, and there will be one thing that you just know is going to go horribly wrong.

 

Arriving at Brands Hatch for the JEC trackday that would see Eleanor's shakedown run, it was plain that the splitter fell into the latter category.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rule of thumb for anyone who has ever read the book on aerodynamics is that whatever you attach to the car that is to create downforce should be at least strong enough to stand on.

 

Marine ply is popular for splitters. Now, in this case the actual splitter itself was fine, but you do have to hang it on the car with something more than skyhooks and hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly, reading is not Stew's favourite hobby. The splitter was attached quite nicely to the car's existing fibreglass bodykit, but being a fully-modified V12 there wasn't a lot holding the bodykit to the car.

 

It is traditional that any new Kutuka car showing itself at Brands is handed to our tame crash test dummy, and with Stewert called away for instructing duties, so it was again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clambering into the car with the fateful words that the splitter was going to fall off, turn into a pair of skis for the front wheels and the car was going head on into the pit wall, we sent him anyway.

 

Two laps of V12 snort, but restricting the speed along the straights to about half what would be expected, and the black flag was out. The splitter simply broke the bumper and began to chatter along the tarmac. Gently touring the car back to base it was fortunate that it all stayed attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hasty removal of the offending splitter allowed a lengthy rear-wing test. The conclusions were several.

 

Firstly, the splitter must work. If it didn't, it wouldn't have come off. To break the fibreglass you need to exert a force. It must therefore exert a downwards force, so it is doing something.

 

Secondly, someone ought to bolt it to something more substantial.

 

Thirdly, the rear wing also works.

 

Fourth, the brakes work.

 

Fifth, the engine appears to be working better now that fuel tank issues have been sorted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A late afternoon thrash against Vanessa was a rout. Eleanor would be expected to win the contest, but the margin here was significant. This car may be about to begin to realise her potential.

 

Brands suggests then that there is life in the old girl yet. But a successful shakedown is merely the start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post Brands Eleanor needs repair. The front bumper was a gaffa-tape special, and that needs fixing. The splitter/bumper assembly requires attaching to something more significant.

 

Enter a man who can. With workshop facilities limited at Castle Cranberry, our hero outsources the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kutukans are generally wary of outsiders doing jobs on the cars, because when your life depends on something you tend to prefer to know that you did it right, and your best bet with that is someone you know and trust, or yourself.

 

With that in mind, Stew entrusts the work to Dragon Autos - www.dragonautos.co.uk - for the splitter repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hefty bars are added. Front end weight on Eleanor is generally discouraged, but this is a necessity. Potentially there could be a hundred kilos plus of artificial weight on the front end, and it has to pull on something.

 

Captive nuts make the whole thing removable in a hurry, retaining the concept that Eleanor could revert to a less-aggressive mode and race in a lesser format if required.

 

The spoiler still requires repair, but the front end strength is dramatically improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To further strengthen the splitter, someone has been looking at proper racing cars, and diagonal stays are added in what is meant to be an attempt to stop the splitter chattering at speed, but is really added mostly because it looks good.

 

That done, it's back to the body shop for repair and repaint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The season opens in a little under a month at Snetterton. Further testing, not least of the massive slick tyres, will be necessary.

 

We know even now that further development will be required, the strain on the car of running such high grip levels is going to break critical components. The weight loss she has undergone will help, but breakages are expected, and this first season we already know is about development...

 

 

Eleanor in her interim aero format, all aggressive tea tray and handy sandwich shelf, sits in the Brands garage awaiting her shakedown.

 

 

Union Jack endplates, because the car was a bit too subtle.

 

Brands in February is always sunny.

 

 

 

 

Enter the Dragon, who despite appearances has not just fitted Michelins, but rather a set of significant slicks.

 

 

 

 

Uh-oh, board fell.

 

The splitter split. I'm sorry, there just aren't any good puns about it. This is a piece of car, that fell off and tried to kill me.

 

 

 

 

Back at Dragon for remedial work.

 

Stewert would probably be equally at home on the quad bike, so long as he could fit wings.

 

 

 

 

Crouching Jaguar, hidden Dragon.

 

Come on, that one was obvious.

 

 

 

 

Man with dirty hands adds dirty great chunks of bracing to mount the splitter.

 

It's OK, Stew only did the camerawork, so it'll be fine.

 

 

 

 

If you know what was actually done here, it makes a great deal more sense.

 

I don't. There are questions.

 

 

 

 

It does at least look as if it will be stronger, but there do seem to be sky hooks involved.

 

We believe in dragons.

 

 

 

 

Front bumper shows the scars of the collapsing splitter trick.

 

The shiny diagonals are a new addition. Proper teams have these made

adjustable.

 

 

 

 

Next stop, carbon turning vanes?

 

And if he were smart it's time to finally sort that ridiculous mouth, which fails both cosmetically and aerodynamically.

 

 

 

 

Here be dragons.

 

We're mixing too many animals for my taste. Classic Thunder plus Jaguar with a dash of Dragon, and piloted by a monkey.