CN 7 Crash

[MikeT]

I've just seen this for the first time (wasn't sure if I could post pics so I've just put the links).........................

http://www.sportscars.tv/cars19/bluebirdbon.jpg

I’m astounded but to be honest not such which way To survive at them speeds is one thing but to be honest I was expecting a hell of a lot more body damage. Not sure how far it slid on its side or even how the crash played out but I once crashed a bike at 30mph and folded the frame through 90 degrees. This was crashed at over 10 times that and from the pics a few weekends in me old chaps garage some pop rivets and T cut and I could have it doing hand brake turns down maccy d’s on a Friday night.

Oh to be a young driver again I just cruise at 40 now, don’t think my van’s ever been over 50

:EDIT: took one link out because its gone wrong already, it was working honest guv.

[Richie]

not to go into detail (for risk of tripping myself up and getting ripped to shreds) but looking at the design of CN 7 there are very few projections to allow the ground to grab hold of so unless she went nose in ala K7 the likely hood is she would slide / roll ..... that said the forces introduced in a flip / roll can be more than adequate to rip a car to bits....

[MikeT]

I did think about smooth shape of the car myself and the fact that there was no street lamps or phone box to wrap it round . Saying all that though it's dug in enough to rip both front wheels off (I think) but non the less I'm still reall surprised the body has come off so lightly. Guess the fact that it was built so strong is what made it a survivable accident.

[Dominic Owen]

Mike (T),

I've got an audio file of Donald describing the CN7 crash in some detail but can't attach it to a post on here. If you pm me with your email address I'll send it to you, if you want to hear it.

[Dominic Owen]

Forgot to add: the file size is only 410kb.

I also have the video file of the interview it was taken from, but I'm not sure which disc it's on so it would probably take a while to find.

[Renegadenemo]

This goes right back to what I was saying on the other thread about how clever the Norris bro's were with their structural design.
Take a look at K7's sponsons after the crash and, apart from the upper fairings being wiped off, the hulls are unscathed. It doesn't surprise me in the least that CN7's honeycomb aluminium core skipped lightly over the salt then slid to a somewhat ignominious standstill with its corners off but the driver intact. They'd have thought of all that.

[MikeT]

I've just read the obituary for Lew Norris on the telegraphs website http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... orris.html now not sure how truthfull it is but it says CN7 "flew through the air for 300 yard then bounced 3 times" then goes on to claim that CN7's honeycomb sandwich is still used on F1 cars safety cells today all be it with more modern materials. Perhaps someone more certain of the facts could back this up but artistic licence aside it's still a darn good show for a car designed in the 50's to still have its structure used in F1today thats at the cutting edge of development.

I know we joke about lead cast in biscuit lids then sat on top of a bit of wardrobe door but has anyone been near a space shuttle perhaps its heat shields are held in place with bits of string . Maybe Donald wasn't shooting a line It may very well be rocket science after all old boy.

:EDIT: If you do read the obituary take a look at this chaps as well Captain Charles Upham VC & Bar ashamed to say being a bit of a WW2 buff I don't think I've heard of him but good grief he puts Arnie, Sly and even Chuck Norris to shame.

[tony]

:EDIT: If you do read the obituary take a look at this chaps as well Captain Charles Upham VC & Bar ashamed to say being a bit of a WW2 buff I don't think I've heard of him but good grief he puts Arnie, Sly and even Chuck Norris to shame.

A quote from Captain Upham's obituary that's IMHO strangely accurate.

'In 1962, he was persuaded to denounce the British government's attempt to enter the Common Market: "Britain will gradually be pulled down and down," Upham admonished, "and the whole English way of life will be in danger." He reiterated the point in 1971: "Your politicians have made money their god, but what they are buying is disaster."

He added: "They'll cheat you yet, those Germans." '

[f1steveuk]

I'm not going to trust my memory on this, but I did list what was re-used in the re-build of CN7 in 'Leap', and I do believe it was none of the chassis. One of the longditudanal members was twisted, and it is impossible to 'un-bond' parts to replace them. Owens paperwork says it was "all new". The fact that Ken had huge pieces of the chassis in Bournemouth, would indicate the original couldn't have been used again.

The measurements were made at the time, and the assumption was, as there was no marks in the salt, and that the recording system picked up no vibration at those points, it was 'probably' in the air.

Lotus used a very similar construction technique in F1, starting with parts of the T80 and ending with the full carbon monocoques, although lessons learnt, such as the stress bobbins for mounting other components , is still used, as first used on CN7.

Nothing is new however, one of the first use of composites, was on a special Spitfire, Calico, soaked in resin, used as stressed panels, in an effort to save weight and money, though it never caught on in war use.

[DamienB]

I know we joke about lead cast in biscuit lids then sat on top of a bit of wardrobe door but has anyone been near a space shuttle perhaps its heat shields are held in place with bits of string . Maybe Donald wasn't shooting a line It may very well be rocket science after all old boy.

I could point out all the bits made out of wood on a TSR2 if you like...