History of Formula SAE/Student

[FStotal.com]

Hallo,

FStotal.com wants to update the article about the history of the Formula SAE/Student series .

Please help us to find some innovations.

We need: the year, name of the team, innovation and picture.

Some examples are:

- 4WD
- CFRP Monocoque
- Aluminium Monocoque
- CFRP Spaceframe -> TU Vienna 2009?
- Aluminium Spaceframe
- self developed engine
- electronic throttle -> 2001 Wisconsin Racing?
- own ECU
- CFRP Wishbones
- CFRP Rims
- Magnesium Rim
- Titan Rim -> Kiel ?
- CFRP Brake Discs
- own Brake Caliper
- ESP
- turbocharger
- supercharger
- wing
- undertray
- active aerodynamics
- differential
- steering rack
- CFRP upright
- CFRP spring
- first car with engine mounted beside driver
- first hybrid car
- first full electric car
- traction control
- 4wheel steering -> TU Graz 2009?
- great changes in the rules
- telemetry
- first car ever

What other innovations or major rule changes you know?

Does anyone have the first FSAE rules ever?

[FStotal.com]

Hallo,

FStotal.com wants to update the article about the history of the Formula SAE/Student series .

Please help us to find some innovations.

We need: the year, name of the team, innovation and picture.

Some examples are:

- 4WD
- CFRP Monocoque
- Aluminium Monocoque
- CFRP Spaceframe -> TU Vienna 2009?
- Aluminium Spaceframe
- self developed engine
- electronic throttle -> 2001 Wisconsin Racing?
- own ECU
- CFRP Wishbones
- CFRP Rims
- Magnesium Rim
- Titan Rim -> Kiel ?
- CFRP Brake Discs
- own Brake Caliper
- ESP
- turbocharger
- supercharger
- wing
- undertray
- active aerodynamics
- differential
- steering rack
- CFRP upright
- CFRP spring
- first car with engine mounted beside driver
- first hybrid car
- first full electric car
- traction control
- 4wheel steering -> TU Graz 2009?
- great changes in the rules
- telemetry
- first car ever

What other innovations or major rule changes you know?

Does anyone have the first FSAE rules ever?

[michaelwaltrip]

looking at some old programs in the office, i'm coming across several items of intrest:

1979 - SAE Mini-Indy is derived from SAE baja events (radically different rules)

1981 - First Formula SAE event as we know it now

1982 - Rules change to require 4-wheel suspension

1984 - First ever "all composite" vehicle, whatever that means. (UT austin).

1985 - Bob Woods takes over the event, revising the rules to include static events as a portion of the 1000 point total score (including the introduction of a cost report). engine displacement limit introduced at 610cc and restrictor size of 23mm. first forced induction entries (west virginia with a supercharged 300cc sachs wankel, marquette with a turbocharged 550cc kawasaki)

1986 - Big 3 automakers become associated with the competition

1987 - first car to pull in excess of 1g in skidpad (UTA - 1.09g, Cornell - 1.04g). first fuel injected car (Maryland, UTA)

1988 - introduction of methanol class.

1989 - rules changed to eliminate rotary engines

1990 - first powered aero car (cornell's sucker car). first win by turbo car (UTA)

1991 - first significant use of wings (UMR, Michigan)

1996 - design finals moved to after endurance event

1997 - first european entry to fsae (leeds)

2002 - first austrailian entry (wollongong)


also, to take a guess at some of your other points (again, not 100% sure on these)

self-developed engine - western washington in 2001

active aero - UTA in 2005

engine mounted beside driver - "sidewinder" cars were common in the early years of the competition. I know for sure that UMR had one in 1989 but I'm also pretty sure it wasn't the first

4wheel steering - western washington in 1990

[Pennyman]

These documents may prove helpful

FSAE history 1981-2000

FSAE history 1981-2004

[js10coastr]

Cal Poly SLO (Don Schaffer) designed and built our own brake calipers back in 2001-2002. I'm not sure if any team did that previously as it was before my time.

..and then I'll say that Cal Poly SLO built the first ever SAE Camber Car, which was entered in the hybrid in progress category of formula hybrid in 2009.

[js10coastr]

...I think the western washington V8 needs to make the history list. We're still talking about it 9(?) years on.

[Patrick Caherty]

I worked on the Maryland car for 1991, and through some of the FSAE old-timers who were still around, I heard that Maryland's 1985/86 car was the first to use aluminum tubing for the chassis. Was also told that Maryland was the first to turbocharge, and the first to use M85 fuel, both in '87 IIRC -- it is possible that we turbocharged earlier than that.

The '91 MD car was modified for '92 with four-wheel steering, though that feature may have been disabled for portions of the competition.

The all-new '92 MD car used a CVT. Virginia Tech may have had one in 1991, I'm not sure. The '92 MD car also had single coil-over front and rear suspensions -- students decided the lack of roll damping was worth the weight save. With an additional year of development, this car finished 4th overall in '93.

[rjwoods77]

1997 Univeristy Buffalo first turbo single maybe? They did a KTM 525cc with an turbo.

[Tom W]

UNSW have used aluminium composite monocoques since 2001. Some details are on our website, if you would like more PM me and I will either give you whatever info you require or put you in touch with someone who can.

[benny41]

i think we were were the first team to use carbon fibre rims in 2004. but i could be wrong.