Behind the Scenes in 1980s F1 (quite a lot of electronics content)

[Zad]

Back in the mid 1980s, when British TV broadcasters weren't afraid to put science and engineering content on mainstream channels during peak viewing, Channel 4 commissioned a pair of programmes which followed the Ford Cosworth team as they developed a new V6 turbo engine. This was just as electronic engine management was making serious progress, and the programmes (particularly the second) give quite a bit of time to the electronics side of things.

It was surprising just how low budget it was, and just how small the teams were. It looks like the engines are made in some back-street garage compared to the operating theatres of today. Things to watch out for are a high tech digital multimeter, a TRS80 Model 100, a bloke in a suit and tie leaning over a racing engine doing 10,000rpm and Ross Brawn looking like a 16 year old fat spotty kid from the local school who they got in to operate the computer.

The electronics content starts around 10 minutes from the end of episode 1, but if you are into F1 then they are both worth watching.

[scrat]

I haven't had the time to watch it all long, but it's amazing how they worked, it really seems a little workshop!
They were pioneers, and had the possibility to experiment, to invent, to fail. I envy them do much!

[IanJ]

Must admit I enjoyed that, many thanks for posting!

Brought back memories as I was part of a similar pioneering scenario in the oil industry from 1984 onwards building, troubleshooting, re-designing and generally having fun with Z80 powered bespoke computers used on Drilling rigs.

To see the guy levering out the eprom (probably a 2716) in a hurry...........ahhhhh happy days!

Ian.

[Alex]

Connectors and pinouts, still a pain in 2011!

I've got to say that electronics during engine development are less hands on and more 'black-box' now.

[ecowarrior]

Awesome post! Just watched both straight through.  Nice to see old engineering going on in the UK - much of that is gone now, offloaded to cheaper parts of the world :O(

[mikeselectricstuff]

Classic quote : "A few hundred F1 engines don't justify investment in computer aided design - just a calculator"
Oh, for UK people - at 45:40 on the first one, look which pin of the mains socket the guy's ESD earthing strap appears to be connected to...

[Alex]

Oh, for UK people - at 45:40 on the first one, look which pin of the mains socket the guy's ESD earthing strap appears to be connected to...

  FAIL-1

[Zad]

Looking at the DEC VT100 terminal they are using for chat and emaill, anyone else notice the similarity with the styling / enclosure design of the new Agilent scopes? 2/3rds of the front left being taken over by a black bezeled screen, which wraps around the side (or top). I'm not suggesting it was at all done on purpose, but maybe something at the back of the designers mind. The DEC VT100 is a design classic and I would be surprised if a designer over 35 or so hadn't seen one somewhere.

[Simon]

I like the way the British (idiot) broadcasters try to explain what italian words mean as though they are something special. Oh it's so complicated to explain that "tifosi" simply means fans, what was all the hype over ? nope they have to make a big thing of a normal everyday word. And they are still at it today,

Programs look promissing, I'm watching on (despite having to listen a guy butcher everyday words just because he is too ignorant to figure out that other nations have a language just like we do  )

[Simon]

Very interestig, I'm not surprised by the "run downess" of the prototyping places. I mean you don't need a rocket lab to do that stuff. I have a friend that works for a company that restors vintage aston martins, they have a dynanometer too and i doubt they place looks much different and their customers are million airs from all over the world. They havethe ability to built any part from scratch to repair a car and I suppose technically they could make a car from scratch.

Sometimes i wonder at the suppliers my company uses considering that some of the stuff we produce is intended for military use allbeit it's only air con equipment and radiators, I think the essential part is quality control (my job) and checks each time parts change hands and checking of each assembly stage.

[orbiter]

Great to see Ross Brawn at the start of his career. He's not changed a bit, still just as eager in F1 today.

[sonicj]

that intro sequence is nuts!

[BrickBoiler]

that intro sequence is nuts!

I miss the days when lasers were a symbol for all things futuristic.

Also, I like the guy with the little project box with 2 knobs on it trying to control the engine, This is what most of my projects look like- A mysterious box with unlabeled knobs and switches that I can't even remember what it does.