Alan Reinhart WFO Interview Explains Why Forces Chutes Didn't Deploy (1 Viewer)

[Slowpoke96z28]

Since this accident happens about 1 time every every 10,000 or more passes we definitely need to form a committee of keyboard experts to solve this all too often calamity with stringent rules that have numbered subsections and lettered sub- sub sections with references and footnotes. I think a new rule could be put in place for less than a couple of thousand dollars (Per Body) by making a “no crush bracket that goes between the Chute cable mounting and the Solinoid mounting. This would work as long as it was X-Rayed every 6 months. If The wall thickness did not diminish by more than.001” everything should be good. If there are no more incidents by 2030 there could be a vote by the entire NHRA membership to decide if the rule could be recended. Everton knows we don’t have nearly enough frivolous Rules.
“If - If’s & Buts were Candy & Nuts ——“

FFS, what are you talking about? Some cheap pre-preg and some rivets are not “a couple thousand dollars, the OEMs already engineer the body, so even they could consult and design it, and how much do you think the replaceable body panels cost after a blower sneeze vs the little bit I’m talking about? Maybe even throw in your “solinoid” (ffs, I couldn’t even type it without autocorrect trying to fix it) vs the air cylinder used now smh.

 

[NitroNik]

FFS, what are you talking about? Some cheap pre-preg and some rivets are not “a couple thousand dollars, the OEMs already engineer the body, so even they could consult and design it, and how much do you think the replaceable body panels cost after a blower sneeze vs the little bit I’m talking about? Maybe even throw in your “solinoid” (ffs, I couldn’t even type it without autocorrect trying to fix it) vs the air cylinder used now smh.

I understand Alan’s explanation of John’s chutes not deploying. However, I thought the Leahy device would also activate when the blower bangs or the car passes the RF transmitter on the wall, after the run. So, am I mistaken or were their multiple safety failures that stopped the chutes opening?

 

[z28]

I understand Alan’s explanation of John’s chutes not deploying. However, I thought the Leahy device would also activate when the blower bangs or the car passes the RF transmitter on the wall, after the run. So, am I mistaken or were their multiple safety failures that stopped the chutes opening?

the RF transmitter will deploy the chutes but it's at or past the 1/4 mile mark. I believe a blower failure is like pan pressure and just kills the fuel and throttle.

 

[Burnnitro1320]

the RF transmitter will deploy the chutes but it's at or past the 1/4 mile mark. I believe a blower failure is like pan pressure and just kills the fuel and throttle.

The Leahy is activated by either the burst panels blowing, the rf transmitter, or the fire bottles going off and will kill fuel, ignition and hit chutes. The pan pressure switch and crew box just closes the throttle.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

I understand Alan’s explanation of John’s chutes not deploying. However, I thought the Leahy device would also activate when the blower bangs or the car passes the RF transmitter on the wall, after the run. So, am I mistaken or were their multiple safety failures that stopped the chutes opening?

No, not mistaken. All those are inputs to the Leahy box. If you are familiar with air shifters on drag bikes, picture that same little air cylinder, except when it strokes, instead of moving the bike's shift arm, its pulling the levers for the chutes, or pulling à short câble that pulls the levers for the chutes. In John's car, ALL of that worked, but the way the body broke, when the air cylinder stroked, there was nothing for the levers to pivot on because its mounts (for the levers, the air cylinder, or both) broke, buckled, or something. Its the lever principle, but the fulcrum was broken.

As is common with those types of body failures, it probably would've been too high to reach by hand cause it raises it a couple feet. Doesn't seem like much, but in a firesuit with arm restraints and the front bars, one would have to be Manut Bol to reach them while still trying to steer (with no sight line at that point to boot).

So (imo) the system worked, but the mounting design "faltered," and he couldn't manually reach them.

Hope that helps.

 

[turbo ken]

Force's accident wasn't the first time the auto chute release mechanism was compromised (see below).

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Force's accident wasn't the first time the auto chute release mechanism was compromised (see below).
View attachment 14709

They're going to have to put MLB foul ball/nfl field goal netting 150' tall all the way down the track. Then a radius at the top like at Nascar tracks. May take some getting used to for people looking through, but it'll keep all but the smallest debris out of the stands. Stuff tethers wouldn't stop anyway.

 

[Ramjet]

FFS, what are you talking about? Some cheap pre-preg and some rivets are not “a couple thousand dollars, the OEMs already engineer the body, so even they could consult and design it, and how much do you think the replaceable body panels cost after a blower sneeze vs the little bit I’m talking about? Maybe even throw in your “solinoid” (ffs, I couldn’t even type it without autocorrect trying to fix it) vs the air cylinder used now smh.

Apprently you did not recognise that none of the post was anything about trying to actually make a rule change from this thread. It was an overboard parody (Satire) to show that sometimes people jump to conclusions and want to over regulate things when something happens. Most people "Got it". As for as misspelling a word & getting a (ffs) your autocorrect seamed to fix it fine. If I accidently miss spelling or using the wrong word or two in the last 80 something years I certainly don't feel bad about it. Having been a member of NHRA & Licensed Driver (from E Stock to Top Fuel) and many classes in between, most of the time since 1957, I am fairly aware of the ways things have changed in the last 67 years. Also: Being very aware of costs and money involved in fabricating Race Cars as well as having several thousand Rivets and different materials in inventory. I DO know something about replacing body panels and even having a Blower bounce off the front Hoop of a Roll Cage and brush my head. You have a Great Day and don't hurt yourself Shaking Your Head.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Apprently you did not recognise that none of the post was anything about trying to actually make a rule change from this thread. It was an overboard parody (Satire) to show that sometimes people jump to conclusions and want to over regulate things when something happens. Most people "Got it". As for as misspelling a word & getting a (ffs) your autocorrect seamed to fix it fine. If I accidently miss spelling or using the wrong word or two in the last 80 something years I certainly don't feel bad about it. Having been a member of NHRA & Licensed Driver (from E Stock to Top Fuel) and many classes in between, most of the time since 1957, I am fairly aware of the ways things have changed in the last 67 years. Also: Being very aware of costs and money involved in fabricating Race Cars as well as having several thousand Rivets and different materials in inventory. I DO know something about replacing body panels and even having a Blower bounce off the front Hoop of a Roll Cage and brush my head. You have a Great Day and don't hurt yourself Shaking Your Head.

typed a nice long explanation, but it disappeared. autocorrect in overdrive i guess. It just hit me how ironic " don't hurt yourself Shaking Your Head" is here in this post, cause we all know that feeling to some degree. cheers

http://cacklefest.com/Gates.shtml

 

[GumbyWVU]

Once the engine blows up, what difference would closing the butterflies make?

ha ha

The intent of the question was with an explosion like that, would it have rendered the CC box unable to communicate with the car at all (not just closing the butterflies) Asking only because another poster asked about the CC box being able to deploy the chutes, to which you pointed out it doesn't. Even if it did it might not have worked, maybe.