Wind Shield visibility

[gidge348]

Hi just wondering if someone can help me, I've been reading the rule book and just looking for a little clarification. A couple of years ago the Honda factory streamliner team got knocked back at Bonneville with concerns about visibility from the car. The rules state that "...shall provide 120 degrees of adequate vision forward". I read this as horizontal vision in other words 60 degrees to the left and 60 degrees to the right, that's all fine. I guess because we are getting lower and lower into the car the distance forward to where we can see the salt is getting further away over the front body work.

My question is, "Is there a mandated vertical angle or visible distance in front of the car that we have to achieve?"

Cheers
Ian...

[Glen]

Take some pictures and send to the SCTA car inspectors in the rule book or the SCTA web site.

[Stainless1]

Hi just wondering if someone can help me, I've been reading the rule book and just looking for a little clarification. A couple of years ago the Honda factory streamliner team got knocked back at Bonneville with concerns about visibility from the car. The rules state that "...shall provide 120 degrees of adequate vision forward". I read this as horizontal vision in other words 60 degrees to the left and 60 degrees to the right, that's all fine. I guess because we are getting lower and lower into the car the distance forward to where we can see the salt is getting further away over the front body work.

My question is, "Is there a mandated vertical angle or visible distance in front of the car that we have to achieve?"

Cheers
Ian...

The short answer is there is nothing in the rules that mandate how close you need to see in front of the car... You need to be able to see the  course markers...  and the course

[gidge348]

Cheers thanks guys.

[ggl205]

Also, don't forget the horizontal angle. If too shallow, you will have trouble seeing clearly through normal distortion of a perfect sheet of polycarbonate.

John

[Seldom Seen Slim]

John said:   "... If too shallow, you will have trouble seeing clearly through normal distortion of a perfect sheet of polycarbonate."

And when you're in line to make your return run on a nice sunny Bonneville morning -- the low sun angle coupled with a wrong-angled windscreen will probably make the return run not quite so fun...

[gidge348]

Thanks for that guys, just did some calculations on how far in front I can see the salt and it looks like about 11.5 metres or about 38 feet in front. So if the car is doing say 250mph it will cover the 38 feet in 0.09 seconds, so if something is in that space there is no way I can react miss it. Visibility forward of that should be fine.

[Stainless1]

Thanks for that guys, just did some calculations on how far in front I can see the salt and it looks like about 11.5 metres or about 38 feet in front. So if the car is doing say 250mph it will cover the 38 feet in 0.09 seconds, so if something is in that space there is no way I can react miss it. Visibility forward of that should be fine.

Yep... got to watch out for those course markers that jump in front of you....   

[robfrey]

Don't forget to use "windscreen quality" lexan. It will be less wavy. I did not. I've been paying the price ever since. Transition at the base of the windshield is probably more important than angle itself.


Rob Freyvogel
#496
AA/BFS

[Lemming Motors]

So if the car is doing say 250mph it will cover the 38 feet in 0.09 seconds, so if something is in that space there is no way I can react miss it. Visibility forward of that should be fine.

Moles?
Prairie dogs?
Migrating Lemmings?

Sorry - once Stainless referred to lane markers my tiny mind went off on a tangent.

john

[Stan Back]

Some of us can see better than the rest of us.  This reminded me of a great "story" which I only remember the essence of (can't remember the specifics) . . .

After a multi-hundred MPH run, Don Vesco once reported that "There's a Diet Pepsi can on the course at the 4-1/2."

[Rex Schimmer]

It is amazing how much damage a course marker (bollard) can do at 250!

Rex

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I can only attest to the amount of damage done by hitting a course marker at 200.