5 replies to this topic

[Lee200]

Bill Milliken may not be a household name here, but he wrote the book, "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics", which is considered one of the best textbooks ever on how race cars work.  He devoted a whole chapter to tire physics and Dave Kaemmer followed that method almost exactly when he programmed GPL.

So here's to Bill.  We wouldn't have the GPL we all know and love without Bill's scientific work.  

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=171998

Edited by Lee200, Jul 31 2012 - 06:43 AM.

[Rudy Dingemans]

Hear hear.   and

Regards, Rudy
(GPLRank: -40)

[John Woods]

Thanks, Lee, for the note.
If Kaemmer is the father of GPL, Milliken is the grandfather. Wanted his book for years.
All who enjoy Grand Prix Legends are indebted to him and our enthusiasm, as for all racing simulations and really, modern racing altogether, is part of his legacy.
101, whew. Must have been a great life, spanning almost all the history of the automobile. Amazing.
Wish him well.

[Royal]

Lee200, on Jul 31 2012 - 06:42 AM, said:

Bill Milliken may not be a household name here, but he wrote the book, "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics", which is considered one of the best textbooks ever on how race cars work.  He devoted a whole chapter to tire physics and Dave Kaemmer followed that method almost exactly when he programmed GPL.

So here's to Bill.  We wouldn't have the GPL we all know and love without Bill's scientific work.  

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=171998

RIP

[Lee200]

Bill was not only a noted scientist, engineer, and author, he also was an amateur race driver.  He owned a Type 35 Bugatti which he raced in the 1947 Pikes Peak Hillclimb and the first ever Watkins Glen race on the old road circuit in 1948.

If you're into race car physics, his book is by far the best.  It's pricey at about $100 U.S., but is worth every penny.

A couple of years ago I relearned a bit about how to read assembly language and was able to review Kaemmer's tire physics routines for GPL.  The code almost perfectly matches the theory put forward in Milliken's book...slip angles, traction circles, tire sensitivity to load, .etc; it's all there.

[Ginetto]

I didn't know about Bill being the grandfather of GPL.
Thank You for the heads up.

RIP Bill, you surely had a great and long life down here, enjoy the upper part.