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Hijacking this thread - Wednesday Night Fun races switch to the Caterham…
The official S397 version of the entry-level Caterham 7 Academy racer is here!
Just 4 Fun Wednesday Night Fun server up and running on Server #3 at:
Wed Oct 5th: http://Valencia Street Circuit (Workshop)
Wed Oct 12th: http://Tsukuba (ISR Link)
Workshop link to car: http://Workshop Linky
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So - as a long-time Caterham (ex-)Academy car owner, here are my initial thoughts:
i) The steering is way too light and lacking in feeling. And that's with a DD wheel! There should be some weight at all speeds and *loads* of feedback - but it just isn't there yet.
ii) H-pattern gearbox and foot-clutch work well and are realistic/intuitive. Flappy-paddles and hand-clutch (how I race most vehicles these days in Sim) are almost unusable.
iii) VR - no front wheels visible. Really?!?!? Did they even test this damned thing?
iv) Engine sounds come from engine bay only - in real life, you'll get some induction and engine sounds from there for sure - but you've got a side-exit exhaust right next to you that is silent in the sim!
v) That's it for now!
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After a bit more testing, I would recommend that you increase the Caster setting to somewhere near the 6.0 degrees mark - this significantly improves the general FFB feel and gets it closer to my personal experiences with 7s on track. I still think it's a little vague though...
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…and yes, I’m getting the bleached out colours online (but not if racing offline…) Great track for the 7 though.
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Yes, me too had a go with the Cat and had to increse the ffb at 130% (in game serring).
I also realized the hard work to do with the h-pattern shift and pedal clutch.
The defoult set up seems not bad but will follw Myles's tips and see.
The only thing a changed is the steering ratio..
Giorgio Minga
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giorgetto giaguaro, post: 31593, member: 24 Wrote:Yes, me too had a go with the Cat and had to increse the ffb at 130% (in game serring).
I also realized the hard work to do with the h-pattern shift and pedal clutch.
The defoult set up seems not bad but will follw Myles's tips and see.
The only thing a changed is the steering ratio.. Ooh - is the steering ratio an option or did you just adjust the rotation angles? My Caterham did have the +22% ‘quick rack’ option which I loved.
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Mr Fox (Myles7), post: 31596, member: 579 Wrote:Ooh - is the steering ratio an option or did you just adjust the rotation angles? My Caterham did have the +22% ‘quick rack’ option which I loved. No, I just made -2 click from Wheel Range (Lock) in setup settings, I found it too much responsive on steering.
I find it is a great content! Once you tame the car you have back great feelng and joy.
I had a run on New Jersey Motosport Park and I think is a superb combo. 
Giorgio Minga
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A bit tail-happy which I like. I appreciate the feedback from those that have driven the car in RL. Not much to mess with for the setup. I usually get it wrong anyway.  I'll try the server soon. Thanks.
"The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power." Wilbur and Orville Wright.
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Is anyone getting clear directional sound from the exhaust?
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This is how to do it, must be more powerful than the Academy one. It is amazing how accurate the Cadwell track is compared to the Video.
Do you even lift?
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Y
lamer of fortune, post: 31607, member: 441 Wrote:
This is how to do it, must be more powerful than the Academy one. It is amazing how accurate the Cadwell track is compared to the Video. yes, it’s an R500. Not sure of the vintage but notionally that’s a 250BHP engine (they use - or used- a notional weight of 500Kg for the marketing power-to-weight - my car was actually 525Kg including liquids).
Sigma Academy car is listed as half that power - 125 from a 1.6 litre four.
Mine was a 1.8 litre four that managed 183BHp on a rolling road - but it was at max revs (7500). My Westfield 7 weighs almost exactly the same but has a 1.1 litre Honda Blackbird bike engine and I think the notional max power with the bespoke exhaust and whatever energise management/furling tweaks it has is ‘just’ 150-160? But due to the massively wide usable torque band (3500 to almost 11k?) and the sequential bike gearbox, I always felt it was much faster in practical terms - it’s just not as pretty as the Caterham and ikve never felt it talk to me in the way the Caterham did either which saps the confidence a bit.
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Given it a quick try. Really miss the front wheels/mudguards. Tried the other Caterham and they are defiantly visible there.
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I have mud guards as of yesterday. Make sure you running with v1.05 Bruce. Myles will update the server in good time with v1.05.
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Server just updated but not tested by myself yet.
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They're called 'cycle wings' anyway! 
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What a stupid name :p
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There was another version doing the rounds , you could choose power outputs upto 250hp with slicks and more responsive handling than this mod but cant seem to find it again
Understeer - is when you hit the wall with the front of the car
Oversteer - is when you hit the wall with the back of the car
Horsepower - is how fast you hit the wall
Torque - is how far you move the wall when you hit it
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deecee52, post: 31623, member: 19 Wrote:There was another version doing the rounds , you could choose power outputs upto 250hp with slicks and more responsive handling than this mod but cant seem to find it again I’ve probably got it somewhere. I think MajorParts and possibly SevenSmiles were involved.
It was fun but never particularly realistic (from a former Caterham owners point of view). I’m kinda hoping that as an official mod, this one might prove better in time.
It’s the only vehicle I feel I can usefully provide feedback on - I’ve no idea what a formula car, historic xyz racer or GT3 feel like when driven to the limit - but I do with these (although not since Covid!)
The geometry and specs of Caterhams are not a mystery - it should be relatively easy to build an accurate model (especially with Factory help as I’m sure they must have to release a model without an obfuscated name)…. ….maybe this is the first real illustration of some of the limitations of rf2 and maybe we should be prepared to avoid slavish geometrical accuracy if it results in a more accurate driving experience.
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I do wonder that if an accurate model could be created if it would ever feel like the real thing . As a driver you will be missing the feedback through your bum and the G forces you would normally experience so the sensation will feel very different .
Understeer - is when you hit the wall with the front of the car
Oversteer - is when you hit the wall with the back of the car
Horsepower - is how fast you hit the wall
Torque - is how far you move the wall when you hit it
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That's better, got my wheels now. Also I was well impressed with the sound. I use Quest 2 but have my sound set to windows default through a wireless gamming head set. The engine sound comes from under the bonnet, even when I look to the side, the exhaust pops come from the exhaust pipe down on my right. I can identify which wheels are locking, if I change down too early I can hear the back wheels hopping. In iRacing while it has great sounds; one can hear the birds and bees, crowds, pit sounds, etc. even the Kookaburras at Oran Park. There is no noticeable positional audio, even though there is a tick box to move sound with VR headset.
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