[rallyP]

As I wait to start building my new track in August many things pass through my mind.
The last one is about the shape of the road surface.

Many of us have experimented with different inclinations degrees but I imagine not many of us have played with the transversal direction (relative to the direction of movement) which we leave just flat. On the other hand many roads are curved on the transversal direction, either to deal with the rain or just it is the way they are. I think this could add a cool element to the driving experience. Imagine the road is transversely convex (higher in the middle) then deviations from the "straight" path would make the car have a wobbling movement on the rear, sending the rear of car from one side to the other of the road either slightly or dramatically depending on the speed you are driving and levels of deviation.

I will try this on sections of the new track, in particular in single lane sections.

Have you tried this? Ideas on efficient methods of curving in the transversal direction? Reasons to not do this?

 

[Ember]

Another interesting idea RallyP. Not sure that it would be particularly easy to achieve unless you are using a flexible surface for forming the road base, a bit like you did with the safari track. Another option might be using plaster to build up your roadway. Lars and Sig both used areas of plaster for cobbles. Actually, now that I think of it, Leo Cerante did the same thing with a DAS cobble road base in both Modelland and Modelland II.

Opens up a lot of possible ideas. Convex run for tarmac roadways where the profile allows for water runoff. Concave for areas where the paving has been simply laid into old holloways. Or even wheel ruts through a dirt roadway. Or you could be really nasty and put in good ol' road corrugations for a rural ungraded road.

Definitely looking forward to seeing what you come up with and how it amplifies or hinders the driving experience.

Embs

 

[Chris Frost]

Hi rallyP
Interesting idea to try. If you go ahead and build, please come back and tell us how it works.

I've not seen a track built the way you describe, but there is a lot of experience with what happens in banked and adverse camber bends. Maybe some of that reads across.

A concave surface in a corner would act rather like a small amount of banking as the tail hangs out.

A convex surface in a corner (a normal cambered road) would give adverse camber (the opposite of banking) as the tail hangs out.
As the car gets more sideways on the convex surface in a corner, it'll get more adverse camber.
Sight amounts of banking and adverse camber make a noticeable difference to cornering grip. (Banking increases grip, adverse camber reduces it)
It seems as if the more sideways a car gets on the convex surface in a corner, the less grip it'll have. So once the tail starts to come out. it'll be more difficult to stop it spinning out than on a track that is flat (or at a constant angle).

That effect could be noticeable, or it could be swamped by other variables. The only way to find out is to try it.

 

[thekop]

Do you really have to wait until August?