You're only supposed to blow the bladdy doors off! :-(

[Softus]

In the film 'The Italian Job' one of the famous scenes features the getaway minis being driven onto a moving coach, via a ramp which it is trailing onto the road behind.

In the film, the cars clearly get onto the receiving vehicle via the ramp.

The question is: In reality (i.e. not in the film), given Minis were front wheel drive, and knowing that they had to go faster than the coach to get onto the ramp, when the drive wheels touch the ramp, what happens to the relative velocities of the two vehicles?

Do the rotating front wheels fail to grip due to their rapid rotation, or is the car launched into the coach at speed it was doing on the road surface?

 

[JohnD]

the momentum of the car and its load will be far greater than the momentum of the spinning wheels

If the clutch is depressed just before the car touches the ramp:

the car will travel at the same (road) speed at it starts to travel up the ramp (slightly faster than the coach)

the wheels will give a momentary acceleration to the car as they grip the ramp, but will be almost immediately slowed down.

If the car is left in gear, with clutch engaged, then the additional momentum of the engine will increase the accelleration of the car when it first touches the ramp. But this momentum will be insufficient to increase the car's speed (relative to a fixed point) from ,say 60mph to 120mph in a fraction of a second. There will be some wheelspin, and the engine might stall. The CVJs will clonk and might break.

there will in any case be some loss of speed as the mini is climbing up the ramp.

 

[Softus]

That makes sense, and any transmission damage would be unimportant because the Minis were about to be hurled off an Alp.

Now what if the ramps were conveyor belts, moving an at equal and opposite speed to the Mini?

 

[solo]

I can feel a

coming on.

 

[Softus]

solo, I think you've just solved a 44 year-old mystery.

Clearly, Jackie and Jack were arguing about the Monty Hall paradox just as the car reached Dealey Plaza.

 

[solo]

So there never was a second shooter? Well I'll be blowed!

 

[blondini]

Now what if the ramps were conveyor belts, moving an at equal and opposite speed to the Mini?

Hang on a minute lads. I've got a great idea...

Er.

Er.

 

[RF Lighting]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlstdCWzCY

 

[blondini]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlstdCWzCY

Ha Ha Ha. Good find. They used a full width ramp too. Awesome!

When those Dudes were still in short trousers, the guys on The Italian Job did that stunt with individual ramps, the cars were doing 75mph and the coach was doing 50.

 

[corgiman]

Pssst

you lot should get out more

 

[WDIK]

Pssst

you lot should get out more

we cant some has been joy riding in our mini's

 

[luke_vibert_uk]

Useless Factoid Time

15 Cooper S's and 35 tarted up Mini's (to look like Coopers) were used and the majority thought destroyed during filming.

4 E-Types (the one pushed over the cliff later restored), and it is believed an Aston DB4 crushed with a dumper bucketwas later restored.

The bus apparently survived up until the early 80's being used on school runs in Scotland.

 

[Stivino]

Another factoid for you, the mafioso that ordered the E type to be crushed was played by Raf Vallone. He also played Cardinal Lamberto in The Godfather part 3.