Rear Engine Modified Roadster Build

[maguromic]

After testing a few windshield configurations, here is a peek at what looks to be the final windshield configuration. It still not finished  and we still need to run a few more tests, but its getting close. Tony

[Dynoroom]

Looks great Tony....... hope you can do the bail out.   

[maguromic]

Michael, The picture might look a little restrictive, but it's only an illusion.  The first two pictures are better shots of it.  There will be about six guys driving the car and they will all need to fit through the opening depicted in the last picture. Tony


This is what I sent everyone to mock-up in cardboard. A few of the guys will need to go on diet.  LOL

[Stainless1]

Tony, bring them all to WoS and we will let y'all jump in and out of the lakester....  
Is it possible to make the windshield cowling flip out of the way for entry and exit? just a thought.

[SPARKY]

Diets are good  we all have to get down to driving weight,

One of us has a BIG butt- hard to steer
one of us has a BIG belly- hard to steer
One of us is big and tall-has issues shifting if weighs over 230

[Stan Back]

Sometimes getting thru the hole isn't the biggest problem.  Sometimes it's getting up into the opening -- being able to grab something to help you into an exit position.  It's hard to raise you butt when your legs are out in front of you.  And the older we get, the less strength and flexibility we have  (or at least I have).

As Willie says -- just some thoughts.

Stan

[SPARKY]

hand holds and grab straps are a REQUIREMENT for me 

[jdincau]

Is it possible to make the windshield cowling flip out of the way for entry and exit?

stainless, section 4V, definition of an open car, the driver must be able to exit the car without moving any panels.
Jim

[maguromic]

Stainless,  As jdincau  pointed out in the rule book, roadsters cant move any panel to get out.   However the windshield and front panel will be able to tilt for the driver to get in and out except at tech when they will have to get out without moving the panel.

Sometimes getting thru the hole isn't the biggest problem.  Sometimes it's getting up into the opening -- being able to grab something to help you into an exit position.  It's hard to raise you butt when your legs are out in front of you.  And the older we get, the less strength and flexibility we have  (or at least I have).

As Willie says -- just some thoughts.

Stan

You have to slide down and up and twist at the same time to get out.  Its especially tuff for me with all the hardware I have in my legs.

hand holds and grab straps are a REQUIREMENT for me 

One of the things we looked at very hard in the design was the egress out of the tub. We incorporated some trap doors into the tub for hands and feet  Tony

[SPARKY]

I studied you dimensions, very similar to my lakester ---but I can get my legs back to come UP---as I see it your problem is going to be the vertical part----how do you get your legs back under you to get up

[maguromic]

I studied you dimensions, very similar to my lakester ---but I can get my legs back to come UP---as I see it your problem is going to be the vertical part----how do you get your legs back under you to get up

Sparky, It's tight getting in and out, but after your comments we revisited the windshield today and decided to shift it forward about 4". Now the highest point of the windshield will be vertical with the steering wheel.  This will affect the air openings for the engine and everything behind the windshield.  Now I have to make adjustments on the model and re-run the CFD.  I will post updated pictures soon, but till then here is the old windshield configuration with the body off for better visualization.  Thanks for looking out Sparky!!!Tony

[Stan Back]

Tony --

Take a look at the hand bars at the top of the windshield sticking out from the front hoop on a Top Fuel dragster.

When we made our new set-up on our street roadster, we still had quite a hole in the tonneau, but nothing to grab hold of.  The steering wheel's under the tonneau.  My knees are bent to about a 60º included angle and you can apply a lot of pressure without anything happening.  'bout the only thing you can grab hold of is the windshield -- and that ain't good.

Reminds me of the first days of Disneyland in the 50's -- they had an annimated Lincoln who got up from the chair to talk to you.  He had his hands on his knees.  Try it yourself.  Put your hands straight out to your knees, don't bend your elbows, and try to get up.  Good luck.

Stan Back

[saltfever]

Tony: Where did you get that human figure for your model? 3rd party software or part of your CAD?

[JoshH]

Tony, looks good. 3D modeling software is great but human interface is always tricky. In your case getting a human in and out of the car. Another area is serviceability; I've designed quiet a few things (Pro/E) then after producing a prototype find out that things were tighter then imagined. When things are on a big screen in front of you it's pretty easy to underestimate how much room there actually is.

You may want to consider doing a crude mock up of this just to be sure it's what you expect. You have a real advantage with the tools your using just don't loose touch of how things are going to be in real life, I've been guilty of this myself...

Thanks for sharing
Josh

[maguromic]

Tony: Where did you get that human figure for your model? 3rd party software or part of your CAD?

My friend created the Ergoman starting from a Solidworks model done by some German guy.  He added and modified to it (and learned how to use an online German to English translator) as everything was in German.  Now its in a bunch of size and he used his size to get the proportions of the limbs and torso and neck pivot points, helmet size, etc. Then he applied them to everyone ells model that will be driving the car.  Them he made a seated position configuration to fit the car.  The only thing that didn't change was we used his foot size of 11 ½ and his helmet size large HJC.  Since the new European helmets are somewhat longer we left enough space to the forward roll hoop so any one that wants to can use one.

Another area is serviceability; I've designed quiet a few things (Pro/E) then after producing a prototype find out that things were tighter then imagined. When things are on a big screen in front of you it's pretty easy to underestimate how much room there actually is.
Josh

Josh, That's always the case.  We ran into that problem with the fuel tank, It looked great on the screen but when we went to machine the parts, my buddy the machinist found a change we could do that saved a lot of trouble at assembly. We have been building crude mock-ups as we go.  Tony