March 2009 Model of the Month

Brabham BT46B the fan car
by Luca Rusconi (aka RoscoPC)

Luca Rusconi (aka RoscoPC) writes about his model:

This Formula 1 car also known as the "fan car", was introduced at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix as a counter to the dominant ground effect Lotus 79. The BT46B generated a huge downforce by means of a fan, claimed to be for increased cooling, but which also extracted air from beneath the car. Niki Lauda won the only GP where this car was present. The model has working suspensions, front steering wheels, 12 cylinder flat engine, rear stabilizer bar, and rear spinning fan connected to the transmission. Entirely designed in MLCad, it takes "only" 5 months to complete the model.