Looking at that last photo above, the driver packaging looks pretty extreme. I suppose for autocross you're less concerned with driver fatigue. And I suppose with enough downforce your right foot just stays flat. 
Is that scrunched of driver position typical in FSAE?
David
Travis is very tall, and '09 wasn't built around a "template rule" for the driver's compartment. '12 will have more room, which will be nice for the bigger drivers. This year, our pedals will really be adjustable, so drivers small and large will be able to run it.
Our cars aren't as tight as that Maryland car, I'll agree his legs are at a pretty tight angle. Some drivers can't reach the pedals without adjustment in our cars.
unevolved wrote: More video whoring: A run from today's autocross in an older car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW3XZeqiaPk
Does that thing understeer as much as it looks?!?
Second question, which is really a follow up to the first- since you run the car cold (tires, mainly) how much time does it take the tires to warm up enough that the driving dynamics change- in the video, it appears that you get better grip somewhere around 40 seconds...
is that close? and if it does take time- what have you found out as a team that has given you the best performance to 'overcome' that?
I've only drove one FSAE car- UM Dearborn, and I had it for longer than a typical autocross run- front was WAY to tight on it, but they thought the front stiffness was good... odd. Just in a basic circle, it was like pushing snow....
Fun thread, btw.
alfadriver wrote: Does that thing understeer as much as it looks?!? Second question, which is really a follow up to the first- since you run the car cold (tires, mainly) how much time does it take the tires to warm up enough that the driving dynamics change- in the video, it appears that you get better grip somewhere around 40 seconds... is that close? and if it does take time- what have you found out as a team that has given you the best performance to 'overcome' that? I've only drove one FSAE car- UM Dearborn, and I had it for longer than a typical autocross run- front was WAY to tight on it, but they thought the front stiffness was good... odd. Just in a basic circle, it was like pushing snow.... Fun thread, btw.
Understeer? Yes. Yes it does. That car was designed to have an extra 90-100 pounds of electric motor, batteries, accumulators, and motor controllers, so the designed driving dynamics are a tad off. We don't really have a lot of funding coming our way lately with the economy being a tad depressed, so we can't really afford to buy new tires for the old cars like this one running 13s. Those tires are at least three years old and hard as rocks. There's only so many suspension adjustments we're willing to make until we get some properly sticky tires on there.
The driver in that video had a lot of experience in karting, so he intentionally scrubbed them around to get some more heat into the fronts, as the course didn't really have a lot of heavy braking zones to get much heat into them. With some proper tires on there, we're confident he could have picked up at least two seconds. This car really isn't a good example of how we're capable of making a car handle, but given that the chassis was way overdesigned for its current weight, and the powertrain is simplified back to a stock carb'd WR250f, it's the reliable workhorse of the bunch.
Let's play "name that part." First machining operation's done, but it's not finished.
In reply to unevolved:
lower ball joint.
Probably from the front.
Bam. Nailed it.
Making some more progress...
Magnesium rockers! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The car's back from paint. As soon as it cures, we can start assembly.
I know we ruled these out for road racing on the 1st page (60" wheelbase, feet in front of the tires, etc), but has anyone used something like these for limited time trials, solo1, or hill climbs?
Seems like it could be a blast and I know that I've seen crazy fast Amods run hill climbs. Could the aluminum roll bar be legal?
Could be, I'd imagine. I haven't looked into it, but I know Maryland set FTD at Solo II Nats last year with their FSAE car.
I'm not sure what you mean by aluminum roll bar. Our chassis is all 4130.
Do the rules state that the aero devices have to act upon the body or can you attach them to the uprights? (aka let the aero act directly on the wheels vs having to go through the suspension?)
They can be unsprung. If you look at the picture of Maryland's car further up the page, their front wing is attached to the front rockers.
Here's some more machining pr0n:
Here's how she's looking now:
And in the end...
5th place overall.
13th place in acceleration (about the fastest naturally-aspirated single)
3rd place in the skidpad (I finally drove at an FSAE event!)
5th place in autocross (it turns out that the car doesn't handle as well when the swaybars touch the ground)
2nd place in endurance, with a spectacular run against a legion of aero cars on an aero course that had even the non-Brazilian fans jumping up and down in the stands.
I think my dream job now is as a faculty advisor to a well-funded Brazilian FSAE team.
2nd place in combined dynamic events. Rookies. Non-aero car. Awesome.
Many thanks to MIC, Lynntech, Peterbilt, MotorTrike, Yamaha, and our sponsors.
You'll need to log in to post.
