Intercooler coolers...

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <v02140b00afd3dbae899e@[203.12.171.107]> firkins@eis.net.au (John Firkins) writes:

> But a large part of the reason that carbon is expensive relates to the
> virtual cartel/monopoly of the producers. I was hoping that this would
> change with the Berlin wall.  The ex "Eastern bloc" used to produce over
> 50% of the worlds carbon fibre, mainly to supply their military
> requirements. Now that they no longer have the funding to build militaty
> equip on the same scale, you'd think the world market would be flooded with
> the stuff.

I had similar hopes for some special purpose semiconductors, but when the 
economic environments were unified the Eastern product turned out to cost three 
times as much - the East German social system was amazingly inefficient.
 
Back when carbon fibre was first introduced, in the late 1960s, I was helping 
to build a kit car - a Cox GTM.  The Mini's engine is actually in front of the 
front wheels - by putting the subframe in the _back_ of a car, you get a cheap 
mid-engined layout.  My colleagues were all working for Rolls-Royce, who 
intended to make the RB211's turbine blades out of carbon fibre until a 6lb 
chicken fired into a set dissuaded them.
 
All of a sudden, carbon fibre was a drug on the market.  We had so many boxes 
of it in the hall that you had to enter the house through the back door. 

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club