Eagle T1G
The Eagle T1G , also known as the Eagle Mk1 , was a Formula 1 racing car that was used from 1966 to 1969.
Development history and races
The Eagle T1G was developed in 1966 and was the first monoposto racing car created by Dan Gurney's " AAR Eagle " team. Gurney commissioned the former Lotus designer Len Terry to develop the racing cars. Terry had designed the Lotus 33 and most recently the Lotus 38 for Lotus . The Lotus 38 in particular was the inspiration for the design of the Eagle. Only the different lettering and later the Weslake engine, in which the cylinder and exhaust were designed differently from the Lotus Climax engine, could the vehicles be clearly distinguished from one another.
The Eagle had a light metal monocoque and a suspension with double wishbones. Gurney ordered a V-12 engine from the engine manufacturer Weslake and bridged the time until completion with 2.75-liter Climax engines. These engines were already discontinued, so the vehicle was underpowered at the beginning. Nevertheless, it was enough to win the first World Championship points at the French Grand Prix when Gurney finished fifth. The Weslake engine brought more success. The Weslake 58 with three 3-liter cubic capacity and four overhead camshafts was first used in Monza in 1966 at the Italian Grand Prix . The gear problems that arose there could not be fully resolved even later. The engine had enough power, however, production was never geared towards series production and all engines remained unique. The team always had to struggle with the different engine power of the engines and the parts could hardly be exchanged from engine to engine. The problems were only solved when Gurney took over engine construction and maintenance in his own factory.
The big day for the team was the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix . Gurney won the first and only world championship run with this car with the Eagle T1G-Weslake. The T1G was redesigned by Tony Southgate for the 1968 season , but was only used unsuccessfully in five races. The T1G last raced at the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix . The Canadian Al Pease drove a 1966 configuration with a Climax engine and was disqualified in the race.
Technical specifications
| Parameters | Eagle T1G (1967) |
| engine | Weslake four-stroke 12-cylinder, 60 ° V (mid-engine) |
| Engine control | two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder |
| cooling | water |
| Displacement | 2997 cc |
| Bore × stroke | 72.8 x 60.3 mm |
| Mixture preparation | Injection from Lucas |
| power | 311 kW (423 hp) at 10,000 rpm |
| Power transmission | 5-speed Hewland DG 300 gearbox, ZF limited-slip differential, rear-wheel drive |
| chassis | Monocoque |
| Track width front and rear | 1550 mm |
| wheelbase | 2450 mm |
| Tire manufacturer | Goodyear |
| Dry weight | 542 kg |
Source: Cyril Posthumus: Classic Racing Cars. Rand McNally, New York 1977, ISBN 0-528-81843-0 .
literature
- David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars. Crowood Press, Marlborough 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 (English).
