[s-cars] Flying Mercs -- was Belly pan blues

[Bill Noland]

A little background on the flying Mercs is in order. First, a number of 
factors contributed to their little "problem" and Mercedes was not alone in 
the flight club. (Witness the BMW prototype flip at Road Atlanta.)

The Merc engineers designed the CLR with rock hard front suspension and a 
softer rear. This allowed the rear to settle down at speed on the straights 
and remove quite a bit of drag from the big rear wing, as it dropped out of 
the wind stream. When the cars slowed for a corner, the rear wing would rise 
up and do its job. We're talking hundredths of an inch here. Clever - no? 
Clever - no!

With the slight change in rake, it didn't take much to switch from downforce 
to lift -- crest of a (slight) hill. Most of us, at one time or the other, 
have stuck a hand out of the car window at speed, flattened the palm and 
played with the effects of changing rake -- lift, downforce, lift, 
downforce...... "Get your hand back in the car this instant, boy!"

Pontificating in Oakland
Bill Noland