Race tomorrow!

Tomorrow is scrutineering for the race and we have had amazing progress with the car.

Yesterday night we drove it around the school and were able to test the u-turn radius, which was extremely good!

Now the team is working hard to get everything working and packed! We still have to mount the panels ASAP.

Stickers for the sponsors to go on the car are coming in today at some time and I am going to have to pick them up. They will go on the access panel to the electronics bay with a lot of prominence.

Progress

Today, Rishi Samani, Michael Hays, Saagar Patel, Raj Panesar, and Kaelan Cowan discussed the suspension and what needed to be changed with it. Michael made the revised suspension in Solid Works, while Rishi, Saagar, Raj, and Kaelan finished the 8020 suspension. The team is working hard to finish the 8020 model of the car, as it is due this Saturday, May 1st.

In addition, Sara Saastamoinen and Rishi discussed what jobs there are going to be during the race and who is going to fill in the spots for the jobs.

Progress

Nick and David have consulted with Mr. Heaton of Gates corporation about the drivetrain and what style should be selected. A drivetrain was chosen based on the maximum performance rather than constant performance so parts would not fail if a maximum performance situation presented itself during the race.

Also Kaelan worked on establishing the angle of the driveshaft and Steering wheel on the car. The Team has also chosen to choose a Butterfly style steering wheel rather than a standard one.

If you wish to support our team visit our website's Adopt-A-Cell page. The funds would go towards making the project go smoothly and allowing the team to attaining the level the team would like to be at.

Rear Suspension, Websites, and Team Application

Today Ricky Bureau, Kaelan Cowan, mechanical lead Rishi Samani, and welding expert Michael Wise worked on the rear suspension for the car in the morning hours of the day. They cut pipes, grounded the edges down so that they weren't sharp, and began prepping for welding the rear suspension together.

Team sponsor Mike Yakubovsky and Rishi took the four bottom parts of the rear suspension back up to the high school where they used the mill to drill half-moon holes in the ends of the pipes where the tubes will later connect.

Then in the afternoon, Saagar Patel and Michael Hays cut metal tubing for the rear suspension. Rishi and Michael Wise began tacking the components of the rear suspension together. Next week, we will begin to Mig welding.

During this time, team captain Sara Saastamoinen worked on the layout and appearance of both the Coppell Solar blog and team website. She also worked on filling out the team application for the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge this summer.

A Arms

The mechanical team finished welding the A arms this past weekend. They will start welding the rear suspension next weekend.

Student Highlight

This month, team member Nick Chapman has shown an amazing work ethic. He has worked diligently and efficiently on all his assignments for the team. Recently, he modeled and constructed the drivers seat for the car (right). His efficiency and hard work has paid off!

Mechanical Team Progress

The mechanical team has completed the design and modeling phase and is ready to begin construction. This week, the team has begun to cut the pieces for the frame and suspension. Later, they will begin welding the pieces into the actual frame and suspension, which should take less than a few days if all the parts are ready and cut.