Hello, I am Paul from the TUG Racing Team and I am currently doing some concepts for a 2015 car and there are some things that are not really clear yet:
Firstly rule T9.3.1 b) says that
"In plan view, no part of any aerodynamic device, wing, undertray or splitter can be: Further forward than a vertical plane through the rearmost portion of the front face of the driver head restraint support, excluding any padding, set (if adjustable) in its fully rearward position (excluding undertrays)"
Now what is the rules commitees definition of "undertray"? Has someone already asked the rules committee about that? My personal definition would be: "An undertray is the aerodynimic surface that can be seen from the bottom of the car and lies between the bottom surface and XX,X mm from the ground. Parts of the sidepods or wings that can be seen from the bottom of the car are not considered parts of the undertray"
That being said I have already done a concept of a FSAE- version of a "wing car" like the Lotus 78 but I am not sure if this could be considered an "undertray" since this is essentially a big wing profile attached to the side of the car (altough there are sidepods on top of it) including some flaps at the end and in front of the rear tyres.
Also if you cut some slots into an undertray and generate "forward facing edges" by doing so you will have to round the edges and in the end this will look like an airfoil, but is it still considered part of the undertray?
Secondly rule T9.2.2:
"When viewed from the front of the vehicle, the part of the front wheels/tires that are more than 250
mm (9.8 inches) above ground level must be unobstructed by any part of the aerodynamic device, with
the exception of any vertical surfaces (end plates) less than 25 mm in thickness."
What is the definition of "vertical surface"? Can there be Gourney flaps or vents in the endplate as long as the whole part is less than 25mm thick? Or must the enplate be one flat part with a max. thickness of 25mm?
Thank you for answers