Jaguar E-Pace Rollover Stunt: Notes on Stunt Creation

News, notes, questions on the McHenry invented James Bond Astro Spiral Jump Stunt
MSI
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Jaguar E-Pace Rollover Stunt: Notes on Stunt Creation

Post by MSI »

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Jaguar stunt side view.png
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We had previously posted these notes to our post on the And now decided to split it and create as a separate post:

The following are notes listing important issues we encountered while developing the 2017 Jaguar E-Pace Rollover Stunt. We expect to publish a paper including the detailed technical report we prepared and include the many things we learned from working with the many folks assembled for the stunt.
For now we include the following brief summary:
  • We worked with a great team assembled by Will Roberts for the project:
    • StarEvents UK who were professional, responsive to all fabrication details on ramp, etc,
    • vbox for immediate and excellent vehicle dynamic measurements,
    • bagjump for the landing bag which allowed tweaking of the takeoff to get the proper trajectory,
    • vehico with a great automatic driver for preliminary testing,
    • and many more!
      It was a great project working with all these companies and people.
      ......However...
  • The following are 3 major issues we encountered working with the stunt team that Jaguar hired for this stunt (and uses in other stunts) which created MAJOR frustrations:
    • they left to the last moment all vehicle preparations, they didn't prepare the vehicle as requested, and this caused many delays, mistakes and problems which wasted time and drove up costs.
  • (1) MODIFY THE VEHICLE AS REQUESTED AND IN A TIMELY MANNER!
    • On more than one occasion NO CHANGES to the vehicle were made prior to the stunt test date
      • So I and ALL the others arrived (I had to travel from USA to UK! Others from other places) and WE ALL sat around for a day or more as they worked on the vehicle
        • In modern cars it is IMPORTANT to be sure to disable anti-roll and other stability control system items and anti-roll systems
          • They need to be disabled since we are rolling and spinning the vehicle!!
          Jason Arst was our main vehicle dynamics components check person
          • He sent a list of items which needed to be disabled and checked (this was a NEW vehicle so we didn't know every little detail!)
            ...but...
            they didn't do ANY or ask Jaguar until we were all there so wasted time and tests while they worked to disable
        • SO added costs and wasted time
      • why not either DO THE WORK beforehand or DELAY the date of the test?
    • Other examples that wasted time and budget:
      • Rolling Caster: We asked for and needed a rolling caster attached to the vehicle (a not so secret component of the stunt),
        • It's in the Spiral Jump Patent! (***also see figure 5 below)
        • They never installed a caster per our insistent and repeated instructions
          • we gave them one to install, they didn't even try to install it!
        • So the early tests were a waste of time and money as they did not work well
          • the rolling caster works with the drop ramp and does not affect the vehicle roll and yaw
            • whereas because they wouldn't install one and to try to get things moving we tried with a 'non rolling' ball which scraped and dragged on the vehicle during the launch and caused unfavorable yaw/pitch of the vehicle
        and so after a half dozen or so bad tests...
        • the obnoxious ADman in charge foolishly kicked me off the team and assigned the task to the clueless stunt team
          • Let me characterize, by clueless i mean no insult to veteran stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell (great guy, he's done fantastic work on many movies and i mean no insult to him
            • -->now the main stunt team is another story...
          • By "clueless" i mean that because the obnoxious Adman's in charge dumped me, he left things to Gary to try to figure out on short order HOW to get a precision stunt like the spiral jump working without a rolling caster?
            • Note: You need a rolling caster otherwise it causes too much drag and yaw of the vehicle! as we told them many times in our efforts to get them to install a rolling caster
            Gary chopped up parts of the ramps to try and get the precision stunt working, without success.
            • So...I had a brief pause...(no point me watching them try to figure out how to do the stunt w/o a caster)
              • ...I was at the track in Bedford, UK which had a lovely natural area behind the stands away from the activity...so i relaxed and filmed some snails taking life with grace and serenity...(see my "Take a Moment and Relax" Video (also a link below)...
          Then, while a few unsuccessful attempts by Gary were tried...
          • ---with help of my main contact in UK we went and got a caster fabricated to add to the vehicle (amazing fast work by the fabricators of StarEvents!
        • ...we were then brought back on the team around Test#9 and allowed to install the caster on the car, repair the ramps back to my specifications, and run another test
        the stunt worked as predicted and expected!
    comparison of rolling v non rolling casters.jpg
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    • Above is a picture of the rolling caster (on left) that Will Roberts obtained for Test#4 and the stunt team ignored so didn't install
      • so he had StarEvents fabricate a mounting device and
      • Will installed it and it was then used for test#9 (recall we were dumped at test#4 so they ran 5? or so tests before we were allowed to modify the vehicle with the rolling caster)
      On the right are the non rolling impact beams the stunt team created and installed instead of rolling casters we requested and these were used for unsuccessful tests#1 thru #8. The drag caused too much yaw of the vehicle while running up the ramp!
  • (2) HIT THE MARK a stunt driver needs to be able to "hit the mark":
    • So now they ran some manned stunt runs into the landing bag and as in any stunt or maneuver there is a sweet spot or target location that the driver/vehicle must pass as close to as possible to in order for the stunt to execute properly.
      • ESPECIALLY for a precision stunt like the spiral jump.
      • The original stunt was part of a touring traveling thrill show so the mark was not that precise BUT it must be within +/- A FOOT!!!
      • There were many runs by vehico automatic steering which HIT THE MARK and looked good, but then...
        • a bunch of wasted runs with the stunt driver who COULD NOT HIT THE MARK!
    • We suggested maybe try drive by wire or some form of a light signal to help guide to the sweet spot...NOPE...he refused...
      ...so many more tests wasted as they couldn't HIT THE MARK!
  • (3) DO NOT DRASTICALLY CHANGE VEHICLE PROPERTIES:
    • This is an extremely important MAIN POINT...
      Once a vehicle/simulation is synced and worked out DO NOT radically change the vehicle!
      • ANY changes to the vehicle suspension or loading will change the vehicle properties and so the launch will change the path of the vehicle in flight particularly in a stunt like the spiral jump.
        • The spiral jump stunt dramatically bottoms out the suspension on the up-ramp as it rolls the vehicle rapidly to spin 360 degrees from launch to landing.
        • Vehicle properties, particularly the suspension, are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
      • After the final preparation tests ended late one night (11 PM!) we spent all night comparing and syncing the 2 tests
        • The tests were extremely consistent in their vehicle vbox response measurements) and we had the simulation matched up
        • We used the simulation to determine the optimum location for the landing ramp for the FIRST ramp-to-ramp test (which HAD to be run the next day)...
      • The stunt team secretly without asking or telling us made significant changes to the suspension just prior to the first ramp-to-ramp test!!
        • Post test (and crash) they said they made it stiffer with tape wrap, etc "to soften the landing"!!
          ...which begs the question...
          • the test was without a driver as we used the vehico automatic driver so why soften?
          • and they did this without saying a word, without discussion?
            Why not let us know since
          we would have said NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
      • The stiffening of the suspension caused a change in the vehicle trajectory in the air such that it veered to the left about a foot or more and so caught the edge of the landing ramp and crashed.
        • Note below:
          • See the top 3 time history measurements of the stunt for tests 12, 13 & 14
          • Notice the arrows on the top 2 Pitch and Yaw angles (Roll was consistent)
          • The bottom 3 charts show the acceleration: see point where vehicle strikes the landing ramp (Arrows)

          DO NOT DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE STIFFNESS PROPERTIES OF A VEHICLE SUSPENSION BEFORE A TEST
          • The increased suspension stiffness caused the vehicle to pitch DOWNWARD 10 degrees more than in prior tests
          • The vehicle Yawed/Heading Angle changed by 10 degrees to the Left than in the prior tests

        SO it struck the edge of the landing ramp and crashed!
    cOMPARIOSN TESTS 12,13 14.png
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  • More wasted time and money!
    • In a meeting after that test (we were not invited),
      We had written a DETAILED TECHNICAL REPORT for them to review prior to the meeting... The stunt team convinced the obnoxious ADman in charge to once again drop me and let the stunt team blindly mess up the landing (which they did!)
      I did not participate any more in helping them make for a proper landing
      The stunt team took over and switched to a tacky dirt pile landing
      • Placed no doubt at the location where i told them to for the first ramp to ramp test
        And
        Probably returned the suspension back to original configuration.
      However...
      In 15 or more tests with their earthen embankment landing they smashed and failed
      Why?
      they couldn't HIT THE MARK...
The final performance on the tape (see previous thread) wasn't done live on TV as planned.
  • It was an acceptable jump caught on tape.
    They had issues with practice runs wherein they crashed one of the 'show' cars after they missed the mark and it rolled over on landing.
    They then tried another one (or two) and finally had an acceptable landing..
    However they didn't dare try it again on live TV...Roll the tape!...since...A crashing car is not a good promotion for new car sales!!)
The final run used in the promotion was OK & ACCEPTABLE on tape!
  • BUT...NOT LIVE...it was supposed to be performed LIVE and they also planned other live promotions but they were dropped
Jaguar path.png
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  • The takeoff and flight was beautiful based on our design and setup
  • The landing was hard due to the stunt team dirt pile landing area and because they DIDN'T HIT THE MARK!

Would love to try working with another stunt team to demonstrate how a stunt team using simulation can take some or all of the guesswork out of developing a stunt and SAVE TIME and MONEY
BUT
  • ONLY if the stunt team works TOGETHER not AGAINST the simulation team
    and
  • Follows recommendations of the simulation team
    and
  • DOES NOT SECRETLY make ANY changes to the vehicle before a test!


***...shhhh...don't tell...A secret of the astro spiral jump...from Patent 3,814,021, Figure 5! (It is essential for the stunt!)
Part of Fig5 from spiral jump patent.png
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MSI
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Re: Jaguar E-Pace Rollover Stunt: Notes on Stunt Creation

Post by MSI »

Modified to add the time history charts comparing Test Run 12, 13 & 14
To quantify the changes produced by the stunt team change of the vehicle suspension and how it affected the vehicle trajectory and thereby caused the vehicle to crash into the landing ramp.
MSI
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Re: Jaguar E-Pace Rollover Stunt: Notes on Stunt Creation

Post by MSI »

The following is a sequential display of 3 Live tests prior to the 'final' run.
Note the Red arrows show the 8-10" difference at start of ramp and alignment issues (red cars 8-10 inches to RIGHT from Sweet spot, at an angle and FAIL!)
also note the red cars not straight up the ramp.
  • NOTE: the white car lands properly and continues on.
Why? Because the first prelim test HIT THE MARK whereas the other two did not
  • Note: There may have been other issues related to differences in the suspension
    • Did the stunt team crew try to make the suspension THE SAME for all vehicles?
      • Recall from above they added a bunch of suspension wrap to the vehicle between tests #12,13 and test#14 which caused a change in the vehicle trajectory (see above)
        Also, note a different driver in these shots for the white car (an assistant) and the other 2 (the stunt driver)
        Ya gotta HIT THE MARK!...the assistant did in the white car (Bravo!)
    alighnment closeup w arrows2.jpg
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    Seq Comparison  of 3 Live Tests Vertical.jpg
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