140: You Don't Need a PhD to Add SERIOUS Performance.

You can go a long way with club-level aero — and this is how to do it.

On this week's episode of Tuned In, ex-Mercedes F1 aerodynamicist and brand new HPA tutor Kyle Forster helps you find big gains in performance by adding aero.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Kyle shares his journey of how he became an aerospace engineer with a passion for motorsports, he also discusses the challenges he faced while pursuing a PhD to break into Formula 1. 

We get a first hand look at Kyle's time at Mercedes F1 and the complexities of aerodynamics in high level racing, including the differences between CFD and wind tunnel testing and the challenges of validating aerodynamic performance in real-world conditions. 

Kyle digs into club level aero packages showing us you don’t need a big budget or an engineering degree to gain performance and lap time. He now runs a consulting company ‘JKF Aero’ which can help you do exactly that.

We discuss the fundamental aerodynamic principles, the importance of selecting the right components, and practical methods for validating aerodynamic effectiveness that anyone can do.

Check out Kyle here:

YouTube: Kyle.Engineers
Instagram: kyleengineers
WWW: jfkaero.com

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: hpcdmy.co/podvip

Timestamps:

0:00 You Don't Need a PhD to Add SERIOUS Performance
3:47 How did you form an interest in cars?
7:40 Why was there an era where Formula SAE didn’t have aero?
12:45 How did your passion for aero grow from the Formula SAE team?
15:57 What is a degree, masters and PHD in Engineering?
19:21 How hard was it to land a job in F1?
22:06 What responsibilities do they give you when you join a team as a fresh aerodynamicist?
27:43 How do you end up with a cohesive aero package where all the parts work together?
31:27 What’s the process of testing these aero parts you design?
37:50 Why isn’t what you see in the wind tunnel not the same on the track?
48:23 What data and sensors do you have to validate aero on the track?
54:26 Why don’t we use a 1:1 model in the wind tunnel?
1:02:42 Why are there caps on CFD time?
1:05:06 How much does ride height affect downforce? 
1:06:44 How long were you in F1 and how did you exit?
1:09:36 What does a typical consulting job look like for a high level motorsport team?
1:11:03 And what does that look like for a club level car?
1:14:13 Getting people to see the real benefit in aero?
1:18:19 What does a club level guy need to know?
1:24:56 How does a front splitter create downforce?
1:28:38 Do we need to think about spring rates when adding club level aero?1:29:46 How do we even need our front splitter tunnels?
1:32:31 How do we validate our aero components are working at the club level?1:41:19 Why is flow-vis not a viable technique at club level?
1:44:55 Final 3 questions