Quote:
Originally posted by Eric Coffey
I thought the CART cars have always had the PTP button? I know they had it a while back.
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I think this is true, as Curt said. Ususally they have an overboost button that's good for a few seconds at a time (so that the engines don't get too stressed) but I think this is the first time there has been a cap on the total use. Back in the turbo days in F1 they had an overboost button, also. Same rules, though, only for short bursts but no cap on total useage.
Some fighter planes in WWII had this, too. I'm not sure if it was a little extra RPM or possibly a change in the mixture, but also just for short bursts. Often they (I'm thinking specifically of the Spitfire, not sure of others) would put some tape at the end of the travel of the throttle for 'full military power' as you might call it today. To get the extra boost you would have to break the tape so that the crew would know to check certain things when the plane returned.
Disclaimer: all facts dredged from my foggy memory.
