As on the new Aston DB9.
Looks a gorgeous piece of kit and a terrific drive, BTW.
And talking of gorgeous bits of kit, so's the new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. But where's the UK numberplate going to go on that lovely front? And won't it look just 'orrible?
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Probably like the one fitted to Jaguar S types - electronically controlled. You pull a small lever to engage and it disengages as soon as you apply power - a brilliant system.
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A lot of American cars have this handbrake system and I think it works very well.
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The fly handbrake as fitted to the Aston I drove (albeit an older one):
To engage you would pull on, hold the button in, and release lever, it would stop at the top.
To release, just pull the lever towards you, and release. No need to press button. It took a bit of getting used to, put once I had seemed a far more sensible way of doing it than a 'normal' handbrake.
I would assume that the system originates in motor racing - since the handbrake will not lock on unless you press the button it means you can do handbrake turns without risk of leaving the brake on, but because the button is there, you can lock the handbrake for parking when you wish.
As to whether you'd want to do handbrake turns in a DB9...
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I think this was quite common pre-war. Certainly Lagondas, even very stately ones had them. The vintage and post-vintage 2 and 3 litre cars had two sets of shoes in each rear drum, one being for the foot brake and one for the hand brake. One could increase braking effort usefully on occasion by a tug on the hand brake, a large lever on the right along with the gear lever.
Very useful on occasion; as was the centre accelerator which greatly facilitated heel-and-toeing.
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With a conventional hand brake, as used in most road cars, the driver has to lift it slightly, at the same time as pressing the button in the end, to release it. The button then has to be kept fully depressed until the handle has been fully lowered. If not, the pawl will re-engage in the ratchet somewhere between fully 'on' and fully 'off'.
This could be rather an emabrassment in competition cars, especially rallying, where the hand brake is used as a means of controlling the car whilst in motion: The driver needs a guarantee that the hand brake will fully release the moment they want it to.
This requires a fly off handbrake which does not have the normal ratchet and pawl of a conventional road car. In other words, it literally 'flies off' (fully releases) when so initiated, and when used in motion, the driver just has to lift the handle to use the brake, knowing that when they let go, it will return to the fully released position.
Of little value in a DB9, as with other high end road cars that use it, methinks, and more of a marketing tool implying race heritage!
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Well done SjB, exactly what I was trying to say, but described much more eloquently.
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Thanks guys. I just been educated. Seen the term before but ever seen it explained. Till now.
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I thought that a fly-off handbrake was one that returned to the floor when it was actuated, and to release it you have to pull up again with the button pressed when it returned to the floor again.
That was how it worked on my XJ-S because it was between the driver's seat and the sill so you'd trip over it if it was left up when parked.
Gareth
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Didn't old umbrella-handle hand brakes work like that? My 1947 Triumph had a handbrake mounted on the right under the dashboard. One touch on the button and it flew off. It was a bit dangerous - much too easy to knock the button accidentally and suddenly find the car rolling backwards.
I'd have thought one on the floor would be lethal, with people clambering across the seats to get out on the other side, or dragging shopping bags from the passenger's seat.
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... And talking of gorgeous bits of kit, so's the new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti....
I hate to disagree but to me it looks* like it has had a 911 nose tacked on... coming from the people that in recent years produced the 456, 355, 550, 360 etc. I just expected something truly stunning.... er, like the new DB9....
Chad.
I'm going into hiding now....
* I'm sure it drives brilliantly though and looks are subjective as we all know. [Inserted to appease the Tifosi-mafia]
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Off topic but saw a left hand drive uk registered DB9 on sunday afternoon on the M40, i nearly wet myself.
Followed it for a bit, but the 106 just couldn't keep up.
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I think that probably the origional fly off handbrake would be from HGVs some 50 and more years ago. Most 8 wheelers at the time had an handbrake which to apply you pulled the lever towards you a few times which ratcheted until it was firm.
To release you simply slammed the lever forward against its stop and the brakes were released.
Seem to recall that it was called a ratchet handbrake.
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Not sure Alvin, to me that sounds like a slightly different system again.
There's no ratcheting with a fly handbrake, the only difference is that it won't catch half way down it's travel, it's just a case of pull and let go.
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My 1938 MG TA had one...
madf
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It seems to me that we now have two definitions of a "fly-off handbrake".
The first, from daveyjp, is of the electronic type which automatically releases when you drive off.
The second, explained by SjB, is of one without a ratchet, as used in racing.
Am I missing something here? These two definitions seem incompatible -- which is correct?
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Was educated. Now I'm confused...
(Wish that Land Rover bird wouldn't keep interrupting my typing. How any times must we all see her before she goes away?)
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The classic definition is NOT the elctronic one: cos electronics did not exist pre WW2 when the fly off handbrake was all the rage...
imo..
Personally I would not trust an electronic one: a fuse goes and it a> won't release or b> never goes on or c> goes off when parked on a steep hill.
Seems electronic gadgetry gone mad...
madf
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I agree, wouldn't describe the electronic one as a fly-off handbrake. Would just describe it as ... erm... an electronic handbrake.
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