Our Report for January

We have started to weld!  Our class has gone from 9 students to 3 as some students graduated at semester and others needed another class to graduate.  We three remaining will have to work harder!

We have used a combination of our two designs to build our current car.  We still feel that we are over-building our car but don’t see until after it is built ways that we could have used less metal.  We have ordered most of our other parts like new front wheels, hiem bolts, amp/volt meter.  We will go with one of last year’s old wheels for our rear wheel.  We should finish the main frame by the first week in February.

Reality Is Setting In

As a team we are working at a rapid pace to figure out the design of the car. Also, this is making us realize that we are approaching a stretch of time where we need to accomplish things. A huge thing that we need to get done is purchase metal, and start frame work on the car. There are only 5 months that we have to work. It seems like a long time but it is very short. Constructing the car cannot be rushed in anyway. We have to carefully, and skillfully construct the car. We only have 45 minutes everyday to put work into the car so things get looked over, and skipped. The team will hopefully get out to the local businesses to get some sponsorship from local businesses. Still the main focus has been on the full scale drawing that we have been working on. We will remember not to weld with the paper under the car this year. To say the least, our blue print from last year was gone. Its all just a learning experience, and a whole lot of team work.

The Ball Is Rolling

The team has started off this month by making a full scale drawing of the car. We have split up into two groups, and we will talk about the pros and cons of each design. We may choose one design completely or mix the ideas together. We do not have metal in our possession so in that aspect you could speculate that we are falling behind. Everyone knows that we need to start buying, and constructing the car. We do not want to fall victim to the same thing that happened last year. We are aware but we are trying to construct the best possible car. The ideas that have been designed have many good things about each. Now it is time to make this car. We have a couple of months and then the races will start. Our team is going to come out strong, and bring the competition this year. We have a good team with their sights set on winning.

Team #2 Works On Full Scale Model Blueprint

Team #1 Works On Full Scale Model Blueprint

Wind Tunnel In Action

Wind Tunnel Work

Demolition Day

This week there has been a lot going on. Last years car is getting torn apart. We as a team have decided to keep many of the parts. There is nothing left but the frame of the car. To say the least we learned a lot of things from taking apart the car. Every aspect of the car was debated about. From last year there were many things that can be refined. The team is making note of that. Hopefully soon we will be able to go around town to find sponsorship for our car. We are hoping this method of splitting up into groups will promote the goal of the class. We are not only learning about technology but we are also learning about alternative energy. We are planning to start building as soon as possible this year.

Progress Is Being Made

This week we have been working hard. Everyone has been searching for parts on websites, and we are building a wind tunnel. The wind tunnel will be demonstrating aerodynamics on our straw models. It will tell which car has the best. That is what we are looking for in a car. We need a car that can slice through the air with ease. Soon we are splitting up in teams, and asking around town for sponsorship. We are in need of money right now to supply the team with parts, and metal.

Wind Tunnel Assembly