I
was the senior project engineer on the design, parts procurement and
assembly of this chassis. The time schedule was short, everybody on the
project worked 10 hour days and 6 day weeks.
The picture shown (below left) was taken
the
day the chassis assembly was completed. The gas turbine was fired up and
the chassis was driven with the driver, my boss, sitting on a wooden box. I am
the fellow on the far right. The man next to be was the general manager of
the research laboratories.
The bald headed man next to him designed a
small
2 cylinder engine mounted in the front end of the car. This engine was used
to drive all the accessory power units in the car. These units
consisted of a hydraulic pump to power many hydraulic components in the
car. it drove the power steering pump, the air conditioning pump and the
alternator.
The Firebird Chassis shortly after initial
assembly -- before the body was attached
|
The General Motors Firebird Three
(Click either picture for full size)
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After just a very short drive the chassis was sent to the
GM
Styling division to have the body installed.
As I said the time schedule was tight. The GM Public relations group
had set up to have several of the top U.S. automotive Media View, photograph and drive the car at the
GM proving grounds near Phoenix Arizona. Time was
short. The car was to be sent to Arizona by truck and to save time 2 truck
drivers were flown and positioned so the truck could get two fresh
drivers along the driving route. The styling group worked on the body
installation until the last minute and then put the car in the truck. The
car
had never been driven.
All of we involved engineers had been flown ahead and
now was the
critical time. The automotive media were to view the car the next morning.
The turbine engine and the accessory drive engine were started up and the car
was driven a short distance. The air conditioning was then turned on and
the small engine stalled. There was not enough power to drive the
accessories! Here we were in the hot Arizona summer and no air conditioning for the media.
This is where I came into the hot seat. Being in
charge of the chassis
design, it had become one of my tasks to determine the power required to drive the
accessories. I had determined that 10 horsepower at 3600 RPM was needed and gave that requirement to the engine designer. Remember that
bald headed man in the picture, the second man to my right? I accused him of
not providing the requested ten horsepower needed. He opened his briefcase and
presented data proving that his engine had been tested on a dynamometer and did indeed produce 10 horsepower at 3600 RPM at standard atmospheric
conditions. This is SAE horsepower.
There was the problem! Engines are normally rated
at standard atmospheric condition which specifies a standard atmospheric pressure at sea
level and an air temperature of 70 degrees F. Phoenix was somewhat above
sea
level and the air temperature was close to 100 degrees...I had asked for 10 horse power but did not mention that I wanted
10 honest horsepower. He
gave
us 10 SAE horsepower.
Who was wrong?
The next morning the media were able to view the car and photograph it and
even drive it around the proving grounds test track. The car
performed fine. Even the air conditioning worked! The car was then driven from
the
test track to the garage by a GM man and the small engine stalled and the
air conditioning quit. The morning was progressing and the air temperature
had been climbing!
Firebird 1 was first driven at the Milford,
Michigan proving grounds on a Sunday. The entire proving grounds was
closed down and only a few security men plus the Firebird crew were admitted to
the grounds. Mauri Rose Three time winner of the Indianapolis 500
race was to be the driver.
When the scheduled time arrived to start the test drive came
and passed Mauri had not arrived. The general manager of the research
laboratories said he would drive it. So he started out on the north
straightaway.
My boss, Robert Schilling, another engineer, Ernie Defusco,
and I were in a Buick following the Firebird. My boss was driving
the Buick, I was in the passenger seat next to him.
The Firebird gradually picked up speed during the first lap
of the track. I mentioned to my boss that I had no idea that the car would
be driven that fast so soon. By the time we were on the south straightaway
we were going at full throttle, 90 MPH, and the Firebird was fast running away
from us. When we rounded the curves at the west end of the track the
Firebird was out of sight. As we approached the East end curves we noticed
a hole in the guard rail, the firebird had gone through it!
The track curves were, I think, banked for speeds of 90
MPH. At that year I think there was only one production car that would do
100 MPH. Skid marks on the track indicated that when he lost it he was not
driving anywhere near the top of the banked curve.
Our general manager lived but could never tell what happened.
He never went to work again.
The wreck was returned to the Research Laboratories and put in
a locked room that took top priority to get in. I was not allowed in!
Experts spent days trying to find out what caused the accident but never
found a mechanical problem. During that period
I was quite concerned because I had been responsible for the stress analysis of
all the chassis components.
A second Firebird 1 was then built with no changes in the
design.
