Right, here we go. Probably won't sound as exciting as it was for me.

Push car from workshop into covered trailer at about 10am. Load a few tools, just in case, as well as the booster battery. Off we go!

Arrive and unlock the airfield (we have our own key), and unload the car. Attach front wing as it wouldn't get on the trailer with it on, and a quick pre-drive check of essentials.

First to drive was my father, sans-helmet. Couldn't get it going at first, but it turned out he had it in 3rd which explains the stalling. Eventually find 1st, and off he went. Did one length of the runway, then returned, saying it was quite quick, but his eyes were watering. Next up Andrew, my brother. He wore my old helmet, and did two or three runway lengths (and a couple of stalls). Enjoyed it, and loved the responses. Said it wasn't as quick as his old kart he used to race when he was about 8 (he's 31 now).

Then my go... It was parked in front of the Landcruiser, so I had to be very gentle with the throttle, and that led to loads of stalls. Eventually they turned me round via pushing and I could 'give it the beans'. Easy wheelspin in 1st, and extrememly controllable. Clutchless upchanges to 3rd before turning on the runway. Then it was a case of very quickly trying to get used to it, although the runway was a bit short. Turned round at the end, and gave it full throttle. Big meaty slide in 1st, little twitch in 2nd, then up to fourth, before I'm forced to brake for the overshoot section of runway (which is VERY bumpy). Next I tried weaving like the professionals do, and it took it very well - didn't get unsettled like LFS would. And to end I thought I try to turn off the runway (onto the taxiway) at what felt like a decent speed. The intention was to get a bit of a slide in front of the camera and drift out to the grass. But it just stuck!! So I stopped, and did a little impromptu wheelspin start, just cos I could.

Then Dad had another go, this time with helmet, and went up and down the runway about 4 times, getting quicker each time. He had a big smile on his face when he returned.

Problems? Will we found the clutch bleed nipple a bit loose, but only a bit of fluid had escaped. And the radiator didn't get warm in the short runs we were doing. Might be because it's blocked, or it just might be that it's designed to keep the car at the right temperature during a half hour race mostly at full throttle, not little runs in near freezing conditions.

Stopped the car. Had a chat (debrief), and loaded it back into the trailer. Got back in time for Christmas Dinner (and punch and champagne! )

Can't wait to do it again sometime, hopefully at Snetterton (~10 minutes away from us), where we can get to top gear and see what slicks and wings are like around corners at speed... I think the fun for me has only just begun.

Lots of pictures, so I hope you don't mind... And I've concentrated on my go more than the others, so it might appear I did the most or the best - that isn't necessarily the case.

More Pics! Enjoy!

Im going to go looking for a white brian james trailer attached to a landrover (or other similar 4x4) in norwich/uxbridge with the "N75" on the plate.

Then im gonna nick it. muahaha See you soon tristan.

You have any way of getting some vids? Wouldnt mind seeing you taking it round snetterton.

Sounds like a good time Tristan. Now let me try it

Nice Tristan

Minor thing bothered me though, it might be an optical ilusion, but isn't the front wing installed with a negative (?) angel?? it seems as it lifts the car rather than produce downforce...

Cheers for the new toy

Where did you actually get that? And hope if you don't mind if ask about the price, not too cheap I guess

Yeah, and full 12-page comparison report against LFS...

Well spotted avih - I hadn't noticed that myself... Will go an have a look.

It was bought in the midlands of England, and it was about £6500 or about €9500 (i.e. not that much!).

Not sure about the 12 page comparison though

Tristan come on msn, want to talk more about your day

When are you going to invite me the 20miles i need to drive to have a go

Quote from Fordman :

When are you going to invite me the 20miles i need to drive to have a go

We don't have a 'wheels view'

looks good.

what about that drag race?!?! maybe u could bring it to whilton and run it there!

Is the track wide enough, and would it get round the corners. The Reynard has a pretty poor lock (not for drifters then ).

Quote from tristancliffe :

We don't have a 'wheels view'

LOL, and no FOV enhancer as well.

Quote from avih :

Nice Tristan

Minor thing bothered me though, it might be an optical ilusion, but isn't the front wing installed with a negative (?) angel?? it seems as it lifts the car rather than produce downforce...

Cheers for the new toy

That was done on purpose... This has the same effect as the so-called "high-nose bug". The downforce it still generates pushes the car forward.

To get the wing to produce lift it would have to have a much higher AoA (Angle of Attack)... So much that the air doesn't stick to the topside of the wing, which doesn't seem the case here. (in airplanes, if this happens the wings would stall, and it would come down like a ton of bricks)

Very nice pics Tristan, and it sounds like you had a blast... Would love to see a comparison with LFS for some of the dodgier parts of the sim (like indeed the high-nose problem, and the losing and gaining grip tire physics).

What a toy...nice pictures too....

I'll make you no promises, since I have no idea at this stage how things will pan out, but I'm currently dealing with a client who makes wireless bullet cams, [wireless so that the recording device doesn't have to be on the vehicle...] maybe we might hook up sometime and give you that "wheels view"

There's a chance we'll be at the Autosport International exhibition at the NEC Birmingham in mid Jan, I'll see if I can get hold of my elusive client and PM you or something...

As an explanation to the above, I'm a digital media student, I specialise in film/video editing photography, web design [not coding but graphics] and general digital art.

Quote from Smax :

What a toy...nice pictures too....

I'll make you no promises, since I have no idea at this stage how things will pan out, but I'm currently dealing with a client who makes wireless bullet cams, [wireless so that the recording device doesn't have to be on the vehicle...] maybe we might hook up sometime and give you that "wheels view"

There's a chance we'll be at the Autosport International exhibition at the NEC Birmingham in mid Jan, I'll see if I can get hold of my elusive client and PM you or something...

As an explanation to the above, I'm a digital media student, I specialise in film/video editing photography, web design [not coding but graphics] and general digital art.

Sounds brilliant - I'd love to get an onboard camera (ideally with sound but beggers can't be choosers). However, I can see cost being the main stumbling block. But let me know anyway - I might even be at the Autosport show in mid january.

Yes I do look a bit like my Dad, but isn't that a good thing. At least I don't look like the milkman...

Had a look at the wing a bit closer. Sure it's a bit bent (look at the leading edge of the right hand side), but in terms off the wing angle it's not actually far off. It's got quite a strongly curved chord (is that the right term), so although it appears to be providing lift it's actually going to produce some downforce. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's not the opposite of what it should be...

What concerns me is that the wing isn't the most secure of items on the car, and although the force is designed to act of an aluminium stucture bolted to the monocoque, I can't help but feel that it could be improved. So thats my plan...

I'll be straight with you, this client of mine is a bit of a pain in the arse, he tends to be very difficult to get hold of, and then all of a sudden I get a miniDV tape full of crappy quality footage that he says needs doing in the next five minutes. Presuming I don't decide that he's more trouble than he's worth, which is pretty likely since the work is part of a uni project which means I can't be paid for it illepall I'm looking to take control of the project myself and get some better quality footage which means finding people with exciting cars who might want to drive to an airfield somewhere [tracks are a pain in the arse to get filming permission for] and record me some footage, probably without being paid very much...

So at this stage I'd suggest you consider it something which is unlikely to happen, but there's a chance it might. As for the sound, it would be possible, but your Reynard has an open cockpit which usually means an awful lot of wind noise, and not much else, and if we stick the mic in the engine bay the sound would probably be horribly distorted. I'd have to look at the car and try to figure something out....but as I said at this stage it's a bit pie in the sky anyway.

If you have a miniDV cam to use as a recording device then you could pick up a bullet cam of your own for around £150-£200 or so...the two connect with a cable, typically the bullet cam sees and the camcorder records and does the sound, so you either need to site it properly or use a plug in mic.

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/cameras.htm that's not my client since he doesn't have a website... but it might give you and idea or two...

Sorry to bump a very old thread of mine, but I need some help.

We are trying to get this onto the tarmac properly again, now that I'm back from uni, the sun is out, and recent events have dies down.

Most of the 'big' tracks (Silverstone, Donington, Oulton, Brands, Snetterton etc) won't let you out on an open wheeler day without taking the ARDS test (which works out at about £600 for my brother, Dad and I to get), or we could take a track day with idiots in Fiestas and Imprezas. No thanks.

We asked the sprinting crowd, and they seem to think the best way is to turn up at a sprint/hillclimb event and learn as we go, but the track time is limited, only two people per car per weekend (so one of us misses out), and quite a lot more pressure in a car we don't know.

Finally I have found a track (ex. Airfield) called Blyton Raceway near Scun'thorpe, which for a reasonable sum of money will basically give us an empty track for an entire mid-week day. But what is the track like? Can anyone find a pic of it? I've found a naff Google map pic of it, and a layout of the rallycross track, but not the tarmac bit.

Also, can anyone else suggest a track in the UK (ideally the east) that will allow an F3 car to be driven by three noobs, without a competition licence, for a reasonable cost without the hazard of tintop drivers at the same time.

I know my local airfield (Abingdon. Oxon.) lets cars on every once in a while. They test (did) the jordans and williams F1 cars on the runway. It's still used as a training field and the army logistics core use the main base. But it might be worth giving them a ring.

But thinking about it it might be too busy a place to be cheap. But you never know.

Used to sit on the end of the runway when I was a nipper and watch the Lightenings take off. Straight up at full after burner. Man those things where loud. Plus the last Vulcans wher housed here too. They where a magnificent sight.

Give 'em a ring.

Tristan you'd be far better off going and getting competition licenses, either sprint/hillclimb ones (you just apply and get them) then you'd be able to do sprints/hillclimbs but as you point out when you don't have a clue there's very limited track time. I'd of thought the best thing for you to do would be to go and do an ARDS test so you can take it to proper testing days, which usually have a good amount of track time, are full of people who have some sense and are no more exspensive than normal track days. With track days watch the noise limits as well, your car should be fine for the lower racing limit (105 db) but won't stand a chance at the road limit (98 db).

For taking it out onto a track you really must get a set of slicks, those wets really will just get eaten up, I've seen a set of wets go from fantasticly quick (due to the softer compound than control slicks) to being wrecked and way off the pace in the space of 2 laps round Donnington in damp conditions. You also really ought to get that wing sorted as you don't want an unstable car or even worse high speed failure as most club circuits don't have a lot of run off compared to LFS.

As for which tracks to do testing at it's really down to what's close and convienent. Mallory Park have some of the cheapest testing, every Wednesday £90 a car +40 for every extra driver. The morning sessions are split between open wheeled and closed wheeled cars in 30 minute sessions. You should get 3 sessions, so about an hour and a halfs track time.

http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/competitor.htm

We have slicks, we just didn't use them at Christmas (cold weather, a leaky valve and the fact the wets were already on the car ).

The trouble with the ARDS route is that three of us want to drive it, and we don't know yet whether we want to use it for competitions yet (time, money, commitment, safety, competativeness etc). Hence the desire to get at least one good day of driving under our belts first. If we like it then it's obvious that an ARDS test (and therefore official test days) is the way forwards.

I'll get in touch with Blyton tomorrow and see if they can send/fax/email a bit of info on the track, such as photos and a layout. I don't want a runway circuit, with long straights and 10mph corners at each end, I want something where I can test out the slicks and wings

Once we get this first 'proper' run out of the way I'll seriously consider doing my ARDS (which I want to anyway for the experience and fun), and go from there. The non-race Nation B licence is all well and good (no test, just apply and pay), but doesn't allow you to do anything other than attend sprint/hillclimb events.

But at least we're trying. As always I'll keep you posted as to progress, and ask questions as they arise for you more experienced/cleverer people to help with.

TBH I do wonder whether you'll be out of your depth with a proper single seater as your first competition car, particuarly if you only intend to do track days with it and seeing as you'll have the complications of a carbon tub and (maybe) a sequential box to live with. The essentials of single seaters are to spanner check then spanner check again. Pay particular attention to the driveshaft bolts, they do rattle loose also check your suspension, pulling at the top of the wheels will be enough to see if something has come loose. Other practical considerations are to check the pedal levels between runs (fill to the plate not to the brim) and if your car doesn't have an alternator you really need to get a slave battery, trickle charging will not be enough (and ffs remember to trickle charge).