SR9 Passes All FiA Crash Tests - 7th February 2006

Ready for lift-off!
Ready for lift-off!
The last major hurdle in the production of Radicals SR9 was surpassed with flying colours today (Tuesday 7th February) at Cranfield University.

The SR9 crash box passed its test in October, today it was the turn of the whole chassis. With the FiA’s representative, Gordon Forbes, present to observe, the Radical tub was put through a series of arduous tests culminating in the whole chassis / crash box loaded up to 925kg being fired at a solid lump of steel at 35mph.

Firstly, the crash box had a side load applied to test its attachment, then the chassis was squeezed in three places along it’s length.

The next test comprised the chassis being loaded vertically in front of the driver, and then the two roll-over hoops had huge loads applied to them

A separate steering rack assembly had to survive being hit by a heavy weight, before the final and most devastating test had to be endured.

Ouch! That hurt
Ouch! That hurt
Complete with crash test dummy, and loaded to the new minimum weight of 775kg plus full tank of fuel and 80kg driver (925kg), the SR9 chassis was crashed into an immovable steel rig. The FiA crash test requires the chassis and dummy to meet minimum deceleration figures, which ensure the best possible protection for the driver.

The Radical passed with flying colours. The chassis deceleration must be no more than 25g. The Radical pulled only 20g while the dummy must see no more than 60g. “Radical Man” only endured 44g.

The tests were supervised by Radical co-founder, Phil Abbott, ably assisted Radical Designers, Nick Walford, Vincent Rassat and Dominic Martin, and Radical Race Engineers, Mike Rowe, Gavin Nightingale and David Thompson.

A jubilant Phil said, “The team have been burning the midnight oil to get the chassis ready. We are the first car to pass the new 775kg minimum weight test, and we can now concentrate on finishing the second chassis , and getting the first two cars ready for the delivery to the Rollcentre team in March.

We have had a steep learning curve on the composite chassis. We know that we have a superb design, courtesy of Peter Elleray, and we have turned that design into a piece of engineering that works.

I can’t wait to go racing!”

Phil will be running the AER-powered works car, which will be driven by Tim Greaves and Stuart Moseley.

Phil talks to his baby!
Phil talks to his baby!
Race Engineer, Gavin - he's the one on the left
Race Engineer, Gavin -
he's the one on the left!
Never doubted it for a moment!
Never doubted it for a moment!
Nick Walford, before the roll hoops are squashed
Nick Walford,
before the roll hoops are squashed

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