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NP01 Prototype Progress


ElanMark

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I thought some of you might be interested in seeing a few drawings and photos as the NP01 prototype goes through design and fabrication. Here are a couple of the basic chassis and drive train layout. We'll be finalizing a lot of the content over the next few weeks so I'll post additional pics of components as they're drawn and packaged. ChassisandDrivetrain.jpg

ChassisandDrivetrainSideview.jpg

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Who outside of Elan is validating the performance of the safety cell? Compared to other prototype vehicles the upper portion of the structure looks to expose a significant amount of the drivers upper body to possible contact with outside objects. Do you have an image with a 90th percentile mannequin in the driving position?

 

What is being done in the design for front rear and side energy absorbing structures? Also anti-intrusion plates would probably be helpful to the drivers legs around the lower A-Arm attachment points, the LCAs will take a beating in any shunt, and it would be better if they stayed outside the safety cell.

 

Looking forward to seeing this series develop, I would be putting a deposit down if I just hadn't built a new car for this season!

 

-Don

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The first design requirement for this car was to make it safe. We could easily take weight and cost out to make it lighter and faster, but safety is the single most important design criteria so the chassis is far more stout that it needs to be. The car will also include numerous safety features not required by most current rules packages as you'll see in future images.

 

We do have a view with a 90% occupant which I'll post here in the near future but I think you'll find that not as much of the driver is exposed as you may suggest. The driving position is very formula car like yet the cage is tall enough accommodate a 6'7" driver so the average person will have substantial head room. We also made the greenhouse/cage tall to ease entry and exit.

 

As for validation of the safety structure, it meets all applicable rule requirements and in many ways exceeds the current industry standard design minimums for tubing size, wall thickness etc.. We've completed torsional analysis to verify the design and it compares very favorably with other cars we're familiar with. While I would never say we have all the answers, we do have a good bit of experience in clean sheet designs for open and closed top cars including car for leMans, IMSA, IMSA Lites,IRL, TransAm, etc. and our designs have never had an issue meeting safety related requirements.

 

In regards to side impact protection, force attenuation structures, suspension anti intrusion, leg containment panels and other such features, I will post drawings in the the future that include these things as the design goes along.

 

Thanks,

Mark

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Thanks Mark

 

What are the chances of a few build pictures, hardware and shop settings. Surely something must be coming together. Motors, wheels, brake components, ?? Myself and others are very anxious and would greatly enjoy a little candy. Clock is ticking towards NASA at VIR !

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Hi Mark,

I am one of the unfortunate folks who is on the upper end of height at 6'6", and one thing I see of concern with the 90%ile person below is the knee/hand location. I know with other sports cars, I don't have the room to fit my hand between the steering wheel and leg, causing lots of shuffle steering. Is there anything you can show or explain about leg position, and how it affects the hands while steering?

 

Thanks,

Phil

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Had the first NP01 engine on the dyno yesterday! Just wanted to get the new ecu hooked up and generate a base map. AEM flew a tech in (Henry) to support the effort and make sure all was working as planned. Put about an hour's run time on the engine, generated a base map and confirmed all the control options were working. We pulled the engine this morning to check things over, verify cam timing and a few other things and will get down to development next week. It was great to actually have the first one running!

 

1stDynoRun.jpg

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Hi Phil,

If you look closely at the 90% person model above, you'll notice that the feet are elevated above the floor. The person model we used above was from a previous formula car program, which is correct in scale and the torso, but the legs and feet are a bit too high. It will depend on your inseam and how upright you prefer to sit. At PRI we had a 6'7" person in the car comfortably and I'll try to find the photos of him so you can see how he fit. My guess is you'd be OK with your knees and the cross bar, but might want to bring the wheel a bit closer to you to gain a little room around it to avoid the shuffle.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We've accomplished quite a bit in the last couple weeks. Engine development is almost done with a positive result on the plus side of the planned target of 185HP. There is a video of the engine running here:

 

The body tools will begin machining this week and it's looking great. We've narrowed the roof a little and made a subtle change to the nose to clear the rocker/shock assembly. We may also have landed on a great and trouble free way of hinging the doors plus finalized a very cool and effective splitter design. Here are a few pics of the body tooling which is what the actual molds will be pulled from. The two recesses in the bottom center of the nose accommodate to ducts to bring air the the cockpit. Notice the sizable ramps on the bottom of the splitter. These should generate some real downforce.

Pattern_Nose2.jpg

Splitter2.jpg

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Here are a few more drawings.

The exhaust will exit out the top of the body and is modular so an additional muffler can easily be fit as required to meet the lower db rules at some tracks.

 

Exhaust%20Concept4.png

 

NP01%20header.jpg

 

The intake will be cast aluminum and proprietary to the NP01.

 

Intake%20in%20Assembly.png

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We've had a number of questions on how the bodywork will be separated. Here is a screen shot that gives a fairly good idea.

The doors will be separate as well, but it's not shown on this particular view. Rob is working on the last of the door design now so I can show them soon

BodyworkExploded.jpg

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There are 14 spoken for now.

Deliveries will start in July and be completed by September.

The plan is to take the prototype to a number of NASA events beginning in June and let as many interested people drive it as possible. We'll probably charge a nominal fee to drive it just to offset the cost of running it, but credit that amount toward a car if they order one.

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The plan is to take the prototype to a number of NASA events beginning in June and let as many interested people drive it as possible. We'll probably charge a nominal fee to drive it just to offset the cost of running it, but credit that amount toward a car if they order one.

That's a smokin' deal!

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Deliveries will start in July and be completed by September.

 

2015 or 2016?

 

The plan is to take the prototype to a number of NASA events beginning in June and let as many interested people drive it as possible. We'll probably charge a nominal fee to drive it just to offset the cost of running it, but credit that amount toward a car if they order one.

 

Will you be posting a schedule here for which events/dates you will attend?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's a few pics of recent progress

 

20150414_1246011.jpg

Lower front wishbone in process

 

20150408_155849.jpg

Upper front wishbone

 

20150408_155052.jpg

Here is an NP01 chassis on the fixture with the triangulation, gussets, and wiper motor mount in place.

 

20150414_130558.jpg

Laminating the mold for the splitter bottom.

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The nose pattern arrived today!

20150416_114239.jpg

 

20150416_114337.jpg

 

20150416_114314.jpg

 

Here you can see the locating tab at the back of the nose that fits into a similar recess below the windshield in the roof.

 

Back%20of%20Nose.jpg

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