Monocoque

A monocoque [ mɔnɔkɔk ], from the Greek Mónos alone, individually and French coque for shell to nut or other fruit, is a one-piece hollow body as a chassis or general frame of a vehicle.

In contrast to a traditional design from rods or tubes precludes the large bowl of the monocoque applied force, thus much rigidity is possible with little mass. Monocoque, however, are expensive to manufacture the part.

Aircraft

An aircraft fuselage was originally a strung with cloth timber. With monocoque accounted for in the early 20th century half-timbered, the outer skin was glued together from several layers of canvas and crossed strips of veneer.

Similarly, pure monocoque, there was only decades later in other vehicles, there the term is construed less narrowly. In aircraft sat down instead as a compromise the semi- monocoque ( Halbmonocoque ) through which can be built in half-shell construction and is provided with thin frames and stringers.

Automobile

In the automotive sector, became head frames were used and introduced lattice frame later in motorsport. Many of monocoque cars are self-supporting bodies, but many sports car with monocoque continue to have a separate body, as the requirements of statics and aerodynamics are not always congruent.

The first car with a monocoque as with aircraft and the first with self-supporting body made ​​from fiber -plastic composite was 1957, the sports car Lotus Elite. At that time, glass fibers were used. With these vehicles several years long reach good results in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the concept was not only its performance but also the dependence of the durability of better materials.

In Formula 1, the monocoque body and at the same time together with the engine and the chassis of the vehicle transmission.

Opened in 1962, the team lotus with the Lotus 25, the era of the monocoque in Formula 1 Instead of then usual lattice framework aluminum sheet with rivets was added to a tub that run laterally hollow and has front and rear complete with frame. The upper half body was still removable. The following year, 1963, 25 World Champion Jim Clark with Lotus.

This design was further developed quickly and customary. The monocoque were largely closed at the top. Execute the shell in sandwich construction, with fillings to honeycomb of aramids, increased the area moment of inertia.

The first monocoque made ​​of carbon fiber composite material was 1981, the McLaren MP4 -1 McLaren Racing. For the purpose of a maximum fiber volume content such monocoque is made ​​from prepregs, and cured at high temperature and high pressure in an autoclave.

The three designers who design this most progressive, were John Barnard of McLaren, Colin Chapman of Lotus and Gustav Brunner from ATS Racing Team, who developed a first undisguised monocoque made ​​from this material.

Monocoque made ​​of carbon fibers were superior to their predecessors of aluminum in all stiffness values ​​with less weight far. However, set design and manufacture completely new and expensive requirements for the racing teams. Thus, the first chassis were still being manufactured by the aerospace industry, and only after a few years, all racing teams could make the monocoque itself.

This design was made up by security in the sub- formula series such as Formula 3, Formula 3000 and the comparable in the U.S. IndyCar and Champ Car series. Likewise, this construction has taken hold in the sports car segment.

For those arriving by car from spot-welded sheet steel monocoque still have the largest market share.

Motorcycles

On a motorcycle, there are monocoque almost as long as the automobile. The frame of the Megola from 1920 was as unconventional and consisted of self-supporting curved and riveted steel plates.

Today, plates and castings of aluminum are combined into a single large part, in addition to the high intake air including air filter and the tank is integrated. Yamaha TR 1 with monocoque airbox, Kawasaki ZX -12R and the Ducati Panigale 1199 use this design.

Bicycles

A bike is loud Union Cycliste Internationale from several pipes, which is why they allow in cycling no more monocoque, but only diamond frame. Many hours of world records have been canceled long after their formation due to innovative technology. The present state of the art was reached when Chris Boardman won the monocoque of the Lotus 108 at the Olympic Games of 1992.

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