Team progress FSAE-A

[ERT]

Hey. just wondering how far along teams are for the 2008 FSAE-A event.

[ERT]

Hey. just wondering how far along teams are for the 2008 FSAE-A event.

[Austin]

USYD is finishing up designs, chassis was started today. CNC parts are just starting to be coded, engine dyno jig just about complete, should have motor running on stock manifolds and new ecu mid next week.

[A Richards]

wow, sounds like USYD is well on track. Much radical re-design or just the same old same old?

[Fil]

We at monash are making our chassis, we bent roll hoops a month ago and are kicking along nicely. Design was finished on friday and we've been making parts at tafe for the last few weeks. the new engine should be on the dyno in the next week and hopefully start testing in the next few weeks.

We are doing a full car redesign with no parts carrying over from the previous design. We are having to really push hard now because comp has been pushed back the 3 weeks and our target dates are a bit off.

Ash were not going to Phillip island for the hillclimb because we've been getting the new design done and the car isnt ready. Im pretty sure we will be going to Mt Leura next month. Are you guys still on for the island? We had a pretty eventful round at Rob roy we took out 1st and 2nd in class, and i got beaten by a tenth to get second. We had a big off on one of the runs and i got in car footage of it, its a laugh. ill try and get it on youtube in the next few days

[Austin]

Clean sheet at USYD no parts carried over, new motor (think small), new tires, new diff. It was time to break the mold and try something different.

The early comp hurts a bit though, just have to pull even later nights :P

Monash sound like they are on track too, any hints?? 4 banger with wings??

[Moke]

We're ticking along nicely.

I'm glad people are going back to the drawing board as designs were starting to stagnate. This should make for a interesting comp.

We've just converted last years car into "Hill Climb Alpha" mode for the Auckland Hill climb in 2 weeks, by fitted skinny road tyres and f'in great wings, she's a thing of beauty. We're up against a Pikes Peak ready Evo this year. So should be fun.

[A Richards]

Austin sounds awesome. Single or twin? Suppose we will all have to wait until December. LOL

Fil, we won't be heading to the Island either, it was the plan and I had the car ready for it but Brendan and I have both lost interest and lack the time to get it there. Some new kiddies are playing around with the car and have it in a million bits now anyway. God only know if it will ever make it back together again and what crazy invention will emerge from the workshop, if any, towards the end of the year. I'm not going to have much to do with the program this year because at best I have no tolerance for others views, ideas and opinions and will probably frighten off all the newbie's that make up the whole team now. Haha.

Mt Leura would be pretty good fun, my parents only live about 20mins away, but I'm no longer running the show and aren't really in the position to dictate what happens with the car anymore. Any tires we have are past the wear indicators and I can't go and spend the team's money and jeopardize their project to satisfy my own personal interests, thought about it a few times though. If the car is in a position to be driven it would be great and a good rehearsal for the new guys. Not sure who would be driving the car. I feel that some of these new lads are going to be a bit cowboy, and the idea of them driving a car that me and two other people spent 12months building doesn't allow me to sleep easy.

Haven't seen much action as yet but I'm sure that once the new team discover the 28 hour workshop session, four all-nighters a week and forgot about chicks and beer then things will start to make a move and they might just get a car to the competition and learn something along the way.

Best of luck to everyone involved!!


Ashley Richards
www.deakinfsae.tk (http://www.deakinfsae.tk)

[Grant Mahler]

What's a blowie?

[BryanH]

A Blowie;

Common Name: Blow fly
Scientific Name: Calliphora sp.
Order: Diptera

Description: Include a number of species including the common bluebottle fly, Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus) the green bottlefly, Phaenicia sericata (Meigen) and others. Adult flies are metallic blue, green, copper or black colored flies that otherwise resemble house flies in appearance. The hair on the terminal antennal segment (arista) is feathery (plumose).

Other Calliphoridae include the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen), and the cluster fly, Pollenia rudis (Fabricius). Larvae of cluster flies parasitize earth worms. Adult flies hibernate in homes. Species of the family, Sarcophagidae, are also found in association with carrion and excrement, although some feed on decaying vegetation or are parasitic. One example of this family is the flesh fly, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis Fallen (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Adults are similar to blow flies but are patterned a checkerboard (tessellated) of gray and black on the abdomen. The hair on the last antennal segment (arista) is bear or less feathery than those of Calliphoridae.

You asked

[Pete Marsh]

It could also be a blow fish?

[Drew Price]

Eaton makes them too.

[ad]

it could also be something enjoyable...

[A Richards]

Apologies to Grant, I made a last minute change to my post. I think that perhaps Andrew is on to something.

[Austin]

ahhh we can prob let that info out, not a very well kept secret anymore lol, USYD will have two cylinders

[Chris Lane]

We're going relatively well over here in Perth.

Designs are getting polished and parts are starting to get made. Our engine dyno room (read: shipping container) is getting delivered tomorrow. Should be running that within a fortnight.

Chassis manufacture begins as soon as our steel arrives, which is awesome.

Parts are being ordered en-masse in the next 2 weeks. Next week is going to be the start of flat out manufacturing for the build team guys.

In short, it is crunch time here.

It has been difficult getting the team up and running, but we have had heaps of support from the uni staff and admin.

[carbon_black]

We're having some issues here in Sydney. We've had some decent delays in chassis fabrication due to being unable to source an engine, and we've ultimately decided not to run with an R6 simply so we can finalise the rear end of our car, and get fabrication started.

It's touch and go whether we'll have a car at the competition this year, but it'll definitely be built for a few other events at the end of December/early 09.

How's everyone else doing?
--
Peter Ringwood
UTS Motorsports.
http://sae.eng.uts.edu.au

[Chris Lane]

We had some major issues finding tyres.

Apparently Goodyear hasn't made enough of them and the aussie order is floating around Europe somewhere.

We had no choice but to switch to Hoosiers. Being guaranteed tyres 'at the competition' isn't good enough.

Otherwise we are a bit behind, but the momentum is building!

[ERT]

hey.
Here in ballarat we are trying to get a car going again havnt had one since 06. having trouble with uni for money and support but we are tryn not very far in but we are determined to get it done none the less.

[Chris Lane]

Best of luck mate, hope to see you there!

[Prohet][]

I found out last week that UniSA will not be entering a team this team. They just won't be ready in time. Dissapointing but hopefully they will be back in 2009. I really thought we did well last year and that it could carry on to this years team.

[Brett Neale]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Prohet][:
I found out last week that UniSA will not be entering a team </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah damn... that's a disappointment. They did quite well last year, and it's good having some intra-state rivalry going too... From what I gathered from last year's event they were using their 07 car as an evolution with the active suspension and whatnot? With development and improvements to reliability that little car could have been competitive.

[Prohet][]

Yea, that was the plan. Hopefully they can get some stuff together, improve alot of our parts and put in a team for 09 that can do well.

If you ever saw the contoller for the active suspension, you will wonder how it ever worked. It was only finished the night we left for Melbourne and it was cased in resin and wires were held together with superglue. But it worked, and was the main thing.

[benjo]

G'day all. Here at VU we are well on the way but slightly behind where we wanted to be, like most it seems.

Chassis been done for a far while, engine in, heaps of components in manufacture and a few key one's done. Hoping to get done early September, after an early plan of being done mid August.

Bugger all carry over items this year for us so has been a big year again. May post a few pics when I finally find my camera to pc cord. :\

Good luck to Ballarat and ECR, shame to hear about UniSA I noticed you guys last year and seems you had some potential there to be unleashed.

How are the big guns going? Seem to be keeping quiet...

-------------------

VUM 07/08

[Chris Lane]

We're practically in the same boat as you guys!

We're all working hard to have our first ever car on the ground September 1st, ready for testing. Check our website for build photos!

I was having a chat with a few of the UWAM guys the other day at a local race meeting, and say they are on target for an October completion date. Really keen to see what they come up with! Meanwhile the Curtin guys are apparently getting stuff done, but suffering from management issues. I really hope they come through as they haven't produced a car since '06 (I think).

I'll point out that we have had our own issues here, and brilliantly both Curtin and UWAM have been quick to offer support in some form. We're really grateful of the help, and hope we too can help them out if need be.

Get these pictures up guys!

[benjo]

Gday Chris,

From the sounds of it you guys will have a really good first year car! Just be warned of unexpected problems and headaches. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

I'm sure your in good hands if you've got the UWA boys on hand to help you out though. See you at the comp! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I was at 06 and I think I remember Curtin there, would be good to see them back. The more the merrier after all..
Cheers, Ben.

-------------------

VUM 07/08

[SR910]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brett Neale:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Prohet][:
I found out last week that UniSA will not be entering a team </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah damn... that's a disappointment. They did quite well last year, and it's good having some intra-state rivalry going too... From what I gathered from last year's event they were using their 07 car as an evolution with the active suspension and whatnot? With development and improvements to reliability that little car could have been competitive. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We think it's the best option. We are building the car to comply with 2009 specs and are trying to build a fundamentally sound car this year that will do well in all aspects of the competition.

Looking at last years car, we really do not want a repeat of what happened there. We have spent a lot of time getting all the basics correct and choosing the best components we can afford/use.

Cheers
UniSA

[Kirby]

Brett/Uni of Adelaide/UARC,

Where is your website?

Cheers

[Magnarama]

Heh heh. Yeah our website has taken a bit of a walk. We're in the process of getting the old addresses redirected.
Our new address is http://uarc.com.au/ .

It's a shame you guys over a Mawson Lakes won't be able to make it this year, but the decision you're making sounds like a pretty good one for the team.

[Moke]

We were going well until one of the boys in the team found this: http://fantasticcontraption.com

[Pavs]

Curtin got a car to the comp in 06 which was a re-hash of the 2005 car.

I project managed the team last year and we decided to take a year off and get the team sorted out. Unfortunately, it didnt go exactly to plan and some days it seems were back at square one. I have since left the team but unofficially stay involved wherever possible.

I do hope the guys can get to the comp this year as there is a chassis built with other components moving along fairly well.

I have seen some photos of ECU's progress Chris and i do commend your success to date.

Nick
2007 Engineering Project Manager - CMT

[Chris Lane]

Cheers Nick!

Glad to hear you're still around.

We pulled our first ever bodywork out of the moulds today. It almost looks like a race car now! Pretty bloody exciting moment for us today. Pictures up on our website soon.

[Chris Lane]

Oh and to the guys at UWA and Curtin, keep an eye on your emails in the next day or two. A very cool event is being organised by us, and we'd like to share it with both teams.

It is on a 'First In, Best Dressed' basis, so keep an eye on your inboxes...

[MalcolmG]

Well we've been making a bit of progress, and the good news is that our '09 compliant car is capable of carrying 3 in questionable comfort, provided one foregoes including most of the powertrain in the car...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/all4s/3_seater.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/all4s/engine_man.jpg

[Mike Hart]

FSAE's first hot lap ride car anyone? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif LOL

[Chris Lane]

Happy Car Time! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Car looks great guys! Can't wait to see the finished product in November.

[brettd]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Moke:
We were going well until one of the boys in the team found this: http://fantasticcontraption.com </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I see your fantastic contraption and raise you the world's hardest game:
http://www.snubbyland.com/pop.php?type=games&ID=10

[A Richards]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by brettd:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Moke:
We were going well until one of the boys in the team found this: http://fantasticcontraption.com </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I see your fantastic contraption and raise you the world's hardest game:
http://www.snubbyland.com/pop.php?type=games&ID=10 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


To hell with your stupid worlds hardest game!, hahaha

[benny41]

Has anybody else had there structural equivalency returned for being too long? Is there a rule about that i dont remember seeing that anywhere.

cheers

[Matt N]

Western Washington had to reformat their SEF file because it was prohibitively large to email. Do you mean too long in page length or too large to send?

Matt
WWU FSAE

[Chris Lane]

I don't remember seeing such a rule.

Ours was one page, as we didn't deviate from any rules at all. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Feel sorry for the carbon tub guys!

[benny41]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt N:
Western Washington had to reformat their SEF file because it was prohibitively large to email. Do you mean too long in page length or too large to send?

Matt
WWU FSAE </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


we were told it was to long in page length. it is very similar in size to the previous 3 or so we have done. not having a winge about it just found it a little strange. our total no of pages is 30. anyway back to building this car

[Moke]

Ours got sent back too for being too long. love it when they spring new stuff on us.

[MalcolmG]

Well, after a couple of hard weeks of finishing off components and assembling the car, we had our first drive on Thursday night, making this year's car the earliest running car we've ever had (previous best was 2004 when we ran in early October). It's amazing how much less stressful it is when you're having minor issues with your car nearly 3 months before competition, as opposed to just before you put it in a crate to be sent to the competition!

There's a few pics of the new car on our website, it's still lacking paint and some bodywork/aero bits but they're nearly done. We seem to have met our weight savings goals this year which was very satisfying when we got it on the scales, hopefully we don't have to add much weight to make it reliable.

Anyway, time to test test test and start making some improved 2nd editions of parts http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Chris Lane]

Your car looks fantastic Malcolm!

Is the beer flowing yet?

[MalcolmG]

haha, the beer has flowed, we would be out testing/breaking the car but the weather isn't too flash so we're working the vast amount of other 'stuff' that hopefully makes the difference between a car that is able to drive and a car that is able to be successful.

[Pete Marsh]

Well done! Out so early, and it looks great! Nice to see the details like head rest and hoop padding are there on your first drive too.

The car looks fantastic, are the photo angles carfully chosen to avoid the whale look? or is it just not that bad?
Can we see a front 3/4 veiw?

Now the rest of us can only hope Malcolm's skills only extend to managment and logistics, and he knows nothing of chassis tuning and driver training, otherwise we're in trouble!

Pete

[MalcolmG]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Now the rest of us can only hope Malcolm's skills only extend to managment and logistics, and he knows nothing of chassis tuning and driver training, otherwise we're in trouble! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Haha, that's probably the case actually, but we'll learn quickly http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

I don't have any of the rest of the pics at hand, I'll see if I can find anything else. The car doesn't actually look very whale-like, the top of the front of the monocoque is the same height as last year's car (but last year had shocks under there), the overall width of the front section has only increased by about 40mm overall, the biggest increase in size is around the driver cut-out, where the 550mm wide template probably added around 80mm to the overall width. Might look different with paint and sidepods, but my suspicion is that the car shouldn't look much different in proportions to last year's car, and I think this will probably be the case for most teams, excluding those who have previously built cars that are particularly tight around the driver.

[Matt N]

What kind of engine/aspiration system is in the Auckland car?

Matt
WWU FSAE

[Brett Neale]

Awesome work Malcolm and everyone at Auckland, with this much time up your sleeve you should have a reliable car for comp, not to mention a bunch of drivers familiar with the car. Good to see more teams realising that management and meeting deadlines is just as important as the car itself.

Just don't do what we did and have a leaky fuel tank at comp after 3 months of solid, trouble-free testing... That weekend still cuts deep...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt N:
What kind of engine/aspiration system is in the Auckland car?

Matt
WWU FSAE </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Last year's car (and the year before) had a YZF with a PD supercharger. Nice compact package, it was all laid back with a heavily developed oil system to cope. By the look of the pics on their website they've gone another year on the development, which is good to see!

[MalcolmG]

Yep that's correct, we've kept the same basic engine package with the R6 and twin screw supercharger. With a bit more work on the manifolds and packaging we've increased torque by a reasonable amount, and taken a fairly significant amount of weight out of the engine package.

We've had a leaky fuel tank at every competition I've been to, very keen to make sure it's not the case this year. We'll do all we can to make the car as scrutineering-friendly as possible before it leaves the country, because the stress of having a barely finished car going through tech inspection really is a crap way to start the weekend

[Brett Neale]

Malcolm, I read your tech specs on M08 and realised you have gone to a 2-speed transmission - awesome idea. After last year's comp where UWA won the thing with it stuck in 3rd or 4th the whole time, it struck me that you only really need 2 gears. And since you have a bucketload of torque with that 'charger then you should be fine! How much weight did removing the 4 gears save on the drivetrain?

Also, much less complications with a shifter system too...

[benjo]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MalcolmG:
Yep that's correct, we've kept the same basic engine package with the R6 and twin screw supercharger. With a bit more work on the manifolds and packaging we've increased torque by a reasonable amount, and taken a fairly significant amount of weight out of the engine package.

We've had a leaky fuel tank at every competition I've been to, very keen to make sure it's not the case this year. We'll do all we can to make the car as scrutineering-friendly as possible before it leaves the country, because the stress of having a barely finished car going through tech inspection really is a crap way to start the weekend </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For the leaky fuel tank you can get this stuff called kreem, available from most bike shops. They use it to seal old rusty fuel tanks, it's a 3 stage process that lines the tank with PVC and it will not leak. We used it last year and was perfect.

http://www.kreemproducts.net/

[MalcolmG]

Brett, the last 2 years we've completed the whole enduro in just 2nd gear, we only really use 1st for launching, towing, and really slow stuff, and 3rd was only really needed at the very end of acceleration and in 2006 on the straight which had the high-speed sweeper leading on to it. I think the weight of the gears, the shifter drum + ratchet mechanism, forks etc ended up in the vicinity of 3kg.

We gave serious consideration to having a single speed (like Wollongong have done, according to their newsletter), but thought it wasn't worth the risk for the extra weight loss. As far as shifter complications, suprisingly it's been more complicated than the old one, as instead of a simple back-and-forth we need something which needs to be able to provide first, second and neutral.

Benjo, cheers for that, I think we may have it sorted now, last year we had porous welds (which were done by a professional welder who charged us a fortune for it), this year we've gone back to a composite tank which you just need to throw epoxy at until it seals http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I put up a few pics in our gallery if any of you are feeling bored. Actually I wouldn't mind seeing what other teams are up to

[JeffreyH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Brett Neale:
Also, much less complications with a shifter system too... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Heh, you'd think so, but no. It is marginally less complex at first glance, but brings with its own complexities and frustrations.

Edit: And I see Malcolm has already alluded to it.

[Chris Lane]

So, a whole bunch of paperwork is due today!

Everyone get them in on time?

[MalcolmG]

I thought I was doing well getting in early and starting the report 3 weeks ago, but assignments and the other sae related stuff left me pushing the boundaries on getting it finished. It's done though, and I hope it's an improvement on our previous efforts.

Now just got the cost report left, more fun!

[Chris Lane]

I think we did pretty well for our first ever reports.

It'll be interesting to see what the judges think of our work..

[benjo]

Pretty happy with our reports this year, been working hard particularly on the design report. Started them both a fair while ago so wasn't too much or mad rush to get them done, certainly paid off and made for a slightly less stressful week.

------------------------------

VUM 07/08

[shampoo]

http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gifWe completed the physical crash test just on the day reports were due! First test failed badly and second went really well. Peak deceleration 36.6g's and an impact time of some 43 seconds..