Design and
Manufacturing Considerations
Will Help You Plan
for the Challenge that Lies Ahead
Design Preparation
Before beginning to
design your car, you will need:
-
Mastercam or a
similar 3-D CAD software program at your school.
-
A design template
suitable for the balsa wood blank.
-
Finally, an endless
supply of ideas.
Training
CAD programs will help you draw and develop your
ideas in 3-D. Of course, as with most drawing
programs, it takes time to learn how to use them.
Your teacher should be able to show you how the
software works. However, members of your team will
need to spend some time exploring the software, so
you can see what it can do and how it can help you
design your F1 car.
Research
Investigate existing F1 car designs. Your
teacher may be able to help you use the Internet to
learn the latest developments occurring in the world
of F1 design. Concentrate your research on areas
that could help your team for example, aerodynamics
and car body designs and then try to apply the
principles to your own ideas.
Testing
Your team might want to consider testing a variety
of car designs, or car parts, in a wind and/or smoke
tunnel to evaluate their aerodynamic performance.
Manufacturing Considerations
In the F1 Car Kit, you will receive two
balsa wood blocks, two sets of four wheels and two
axles, and some sandpaper, which are the minimum
supplies needed to enter the challenge.
Note: the typical CO2 car jig is not required to
machine the typical F1 car. If you do use a jig,
your design template must be 10 mm shorter at least
at one end (this has been accounted for in the Rules
& Regulations, Point 3a). You will not be able to
machine to the extreme ends of the balsa wood block,
since they are sometimes used for attaching the CNC
machine jig fixture.
Once machined, you can smooth the balsa wood design
and finish with paint. Note: only a limited amount
of hand finishing to the body is allowed. You can
also decorate the car body with any sponsorship
stickers, advertising, or color schemes.
Make sure you read
and check the rules thoroughly before beginning the
design and construction of your F1 car.
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