"Lid Lift"

[Hard-Drive]

I'm looking to buy a decent HANS compatible full face car helmet for track days. I will be running a standard Caterham aeroscreen on the track.

I'm fairly average proportions, 5'11", 32" inside leg, in an S3 with lowered floors and standard leather seats, with the runners bolted directly to the floors and the seats at the back of their adjustment.

Am I likely to experience "lid lift" at speed, and therefore be in need of a lid with a "duck bill" front spoiler, or will a standard one be OK?

Thanks!

[MagicalTrevor]

I'm looking to add a chin spoiler to my helmet for this reason. I'm 6ft with a bag seat and it's turbulent but not as bad as a single seater. I figure that the aero add-ons will help stabilise my head in the turbulent air flow.

Is it necessary? No. Will it help? Should do/hope so

[CharlesElliott]

I don't have one, and I don't remember the people that I race with having them either.

[Hard-Drive]

MagicalTrevor said:

I'm looking to add a chin spoiler to my helmet for this reason. I'm 6ft with a bag seat and it's turbulent but not as bad as a single seater. I figure that the aero add-ons will help stabilise my head in the turbulent air flow.

Is it necessary? No. Will it help? Should do/hope so

Thanks, what's your exact setup with regards to screen/doors?

[Hard-Drive]

CharlesElliott said:

I don't have one, and I don't remember the people that I race with having them either.

Thanks...are you racing with a windscreen or aeroscreen?

[CharlesElliott]

Aeroscreen.

[DCL]

You need to be going about 130 mph before helmet lift becomes a problem. But it is pretty scary feeling when it does happen. It feels like your helmet is about to be ripped off and it got me holding on to the chin strap, which wasn't ideal at that speed.

[KnifeySpoony]

I have an aeroscreen on my car, and I have a "car" helmet with duckbill and I get lid lift over 110mph. Uncomfortable, but not a deal breaker. Interestingly, my Arai motorbike helmet has no duck bill and has much better aerodynamics in the 7; no lift at all. I'm in the US and some trackday providers allow running with bike helmets - when I can, I do.

[NNH]

KnifeySpoony said:

I have an aeroscreen on my car, and I have a "car" helmet with duckbill and I get lid lift over 110mph. Uncomfortable, but not a deal breaker. Interestingly, my Arai motorbike helmet has no duck bill and has much better aerodynamics in the 7; no lift at all. I'm in the US and some trackday providers allow running with bike helmets - when I can, I do.

You've just made me wonder why car helmets don't use bike aerodynamics.

[BertBert]

NNH said:

You've just made me wonder why car helmets don't use bike aerodynamics.

My experience say that some do. The zamp helmet I bought had terrible lift but the arai that I had before and after never suffered from lift. This is in single seaters.

[Hard-Drive]

BertBert said:

My experience say that some do. The zamp helmet I bought had terrible lift but the arai that I had before and after never suffered from lift. This is in single seaters.

Interesting. What model Zamp was it, and did either have duck bills?

[BertBert]

Hard-Drive said:

Interesting. What model Zamp was it, and did either have duck bills?

WOuld it be RZ-35E? I tried a chin spoiler to no avail.

[Hard-Drive]

BertBert said:

Hard-Drive said:

Interesting. What model Zamp was it, and did either have duck bills?

WOuld it be RZ-35E? I tried a chin spoiler to no avail.

That's odd as the RZ-35E is a duck bill lid anyway, although now discontinued and unavailable in my size. Although I guess if this is in single seaters rather than a Caterham it might be academic anyway.

It's annoying as the RZ-56 looks like a very well priced lid that's probably fine for my requirements (karting, and a few trackdays in the Caterham with HANS) at £279, but to get a duck bill lid (RZ-70E) it's a increase to £528 which is a lot more, especially as you are paying for compatibility with radios, hydration and air systems that I will simply never use.

[BertBert]

I don't think single seaters are that different from caterhams with aeroscreen really. The zamp was super comfortable for my head height. Annoying the lift was so uncomfortable!