>It's was done in F1 years ago. Not sure if it was outlawed, or just
>faded away, but there was a team (a French manufacturer I believe) that
>ran pneumatically activated valves. Valvetrain inertia is obviously
>decreased substantially meaning extreme RPM levels are possible. Cost,
>complexity, and reliability are probably more of a limiting factor than
>power consumption or speed.
>--
>Ron Katona
They weren't pneumatically opened, just closed. It was Renault.
The pneumatics took the place of the valve springs. Opening was still
handled by cams. I believe they're still in use. Helpful at 18,000rpm!!
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