M.Nader -DODZ- wrote:
I really, really don't get into the "it is easier on planes" bit. It is very very very difficult to model aircrafts in a simulators, wind changes, areas of low pressure, there is a whole science in aviation which is just one part when modelling an aircraft. Modelling vehicles with tyre data is definitely (IMO) a lot easier. and when the pilot loses control it is nearly unpredictable what will happen, much more than Automotives.
As for your point on track changes, it is the same for simulators as in testing. Temp. drops, Wind changes, tyre wear,,,etc. all change from circuit to circuit and even if teams test 5 days prior to an event on a single qualifying session the wind may change direction and they will be clueless (as has happened plenty of times). and you can't have the teams do tests on EVERY track on the calendar anyway as this would be plenty of times more expensive that work in the simulator.
Also Aircraft sim is not just for commercial planes, any decent military will have a sim to train its fighter pilots on flying their jets.
I Firmly believe that Simulators are the way to go, with limited testing to its aid.
Airplanes are easier to model because you don't have to deal with magic tyres and suspension. Less variables = less complex. Simulators do not model in real time - it is impossible to do CFD with current technology in real time. On a very basic level, for airplanes, lift values are pre-calculated and then accessed via a lookup table, using air speed and angle of attack as inputs. With cars, not only do you need everything that an airplane requires (replacing lift with downforce), but you also need to lookup tyre grip, as a function of slip angle, camber, and tyre loading. But tyre loading isn't just an input - it's an output as a function of dynamic weight changes on the suspension. Just keep in mind that these are the very basic requirements: a more realistic simulator would necessitate many more variables like temp, humidity, (air density), wind, etc. (F1 simulators still use lookup tables. The complexity of a simulator is in finer grain lookups and many more inputs to outputs. F1 teams will feed CFD or wind tunnel lift/drag values into their sims).
Oh yeah - the reason why tyres are called "magic" tyres is because nobody really understands grip and the models for tyre grip are contrived, not derived. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_B._Pa ... ire_models