Jim Hayes wrote:
> Interestingly enough, a discussion on the "strength" of Chapman's
> race cars has been going on on the "Alfa Digest"
> . . .
> "Stirling and Rob had given Colin Chapman his first Grand Prix
> victory - but only just; after the race it was discovered that both
> forward engine mountings were broken and the front end of the engine
> in Stirling's car was supported by only a water pipe."
Having seen a Lotus 30 in action at Riverside in the hands of one
J. Clark lo these many years ago, I also remember it as a very
beautiful, but woefully uncompetitive car.
Jim Hayes' comment reminds me of an interview conducted with the
fellow responsible for designing the first human-powered airplane to
cross the English Channel some years ago. Explaining how the plane
could be built light enough to be powered by the pilot yet durable
enough for the channel crossing, he said that every part was examined
after each test flight - "If a part had broken, we made it stronger.
If it wasn't broken, we made it lighter."
This was apparently the Chapman "development philosophy" as applied
to aircraft.
Jim Hill
Madison WI
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