The seat has gone through a few iterations to it's current form. From the original, it was first extended by a few inches as a result of a longer swingarm, then raised another couple inches to improve ergonomics for Amy, the new (taller) rider. Seat Extension (2017) The seat extension was actually prompted by a … Continue reading New Seat Complete!
A season of mileage in a day
The El Mirage July race event was cancelled last weekend due to excessive heat, but we made lemonade out of that lemon by still having our own testing day.
Overview of the Instruments
The Red Baron instruments tell the story of a land speed racing run from start to finish, if you know what you're looking for. Here's my first video introducing the different instruments and narrating our record-setting run from July 2017. https://youtu.be/Vgu2WjiFPk0 It wasn't a perfect run - the rear cylinder got uncomfortably hot, the engine … Continue reading Overview of the Instruments
VJs: All about Valve Jobs
I like this trio of videos because Smitty makes all the little details of valve design, maintenance, and performance modifications come together so simply. The goal for engine valves is to be air tight. Specs for Air Tight Valves Smitty walks through the essential specs of poppet valves in most engine today, for both intake … Continue reading VJs: All about Valve Jobs
Horsepower Limits in WWII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAaQ0STRioo Essentials to Horsepower https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knkgSYP3uMc World War II: The Fight for Horsepower One of the best things about learning from Smitty is how he intuitively approaches engineering topics. One essential topic of conversation is the fundamentals of increasing horsepower. To keep it simple, horsepower all comes down to: How much air the engine can inhale, … Continue reading Horsepower Limits in WWII
What are valves and why do they matter?
In the first series of Turn 4 Academy videos, Smitty gives a quick introduction to the poppet valve design that is nearly ubiquitous in internal combustion engines. What are valves? (Doors!)Anatomy of a Poppet (Mushroom or Tulip) ValveIntake & Exhaust Valves: Materials & Trade-offs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT99T12uD0k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0p3BjsZcxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqlnAqCMLWI
Introducing Turn 4 Academy
The most important moment at Indianapolis Speedwayis the exit of Turn 4 onto the main straight. The art of racing is always a compromise, with focus on the most important factors. One constant aspect of The Red Baron development that is every engineering decision is a compromise to optimize. This principle is apparent when developing … Continue reading Introducing Turn 4 Academy
Aerodynamic Evolution in Pictures
The Red Baron has earned records in several land speed racing competition classes, depending on the aerodynamic package. The Red Baron now has a custom racing fairing, several tail options, and several front fender options. Scroll through the evolution below. On the Showroom Floor Found in 2011 with low miles in Dallas, Texas, the 1985 … Continue reading Aerodynamic Evolution in Pictures
Deep Dive: Enlarged Exhaust Ports
The Red Baron seemed to be stuck at 115 MPH during the 2015 and 2016 race seasons, regardless of fueling and boost changes. We knew that the exhaust valves and ports were quite small compared to the intake, and appeared to be the limiting factor to processing more air and fuel to make more power. … Continue reading Deep Dive: Enlarged Exhaust Ports
Deep Dive: Racing Cam for High RPM Power
The Red Baron seemed to be stuck at 115 MPH during the 2015 and 2016 race seasons, regardless of fueling and boost changes. We suspected choke conditions at the exhaust ports. We modified the timing of the exhaust valve opening and closing events by designing a custom camshaft that would allow for greater air flow, … Continue reading Deep Dive: Racing Cam for High RPM Power