The engineers snap on wings and other pieces of the chassis to the model car, trying out new designs or refining existing ones. They create a constant supply of changing parts by using a form of three-dimensional computer printing called stereolithography. A designer draws the new part on a computer, then prints it to a machine that uses resin to construct the model part. The resin hardens into a kind of plastic, and the new part is tested in the wind tunnel within hours.
The Final Step, When the Wings Begin to Fly
The aim is to create parts with the most grip and the least amount of drag, or friction, to slow the car. Once the engineers feel that they have the best wing or chassis part they transfer the design to another department of the Formula 1 factory where the actual, real part is made out of carbon fiber at full size for the car. It is then tested on the real car by the test team at a track between races.
And so it goes on forever, as these aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics engineers - who usually have PhDs and come from the aerospace industry - invent thousands of new parts throughout the season.
A Thing of Beauty
Highly refined aerodynamics are also what make Formula 1 cars beautiful to look at, as their wings and bodywork flow gracefully from front to back. They have even figured in museums and galleries as works of art.
