For this project we were given the task of building a CO2 powered car, and making it run a 20 yard track as fast as possible. The car could take on just about any design we wanted, just as long as the total weight was above 5 ounces when finished.

Before we began building, we first had to understand the basic concepts of aerodynamics such as drag and lift forces. Drag refers to forces acting opposite to the relative movement of an object, and lift being a force pushing up on the object.

The main learning goal for this project was to reduce drag by as much as possible, therefore making the vehicle travel 20 yards as fast as possible.

For our design, we started with a simple triangular shape. We then began to cut down the piece to reduce weight, and make it more aerodynamic. We also sanded down the edges to allow for smoother airflow over the car.

Overall our car performed very well.  Out of all the other groups our car was the second fastest to 20 yards.

The only redesign we had to  make for this project was making it more lightweight. The original design was a bit to heavy, and we simply cut it down a bit and sanded off the edges a bit more to get as close to the target 5 ounces as possible.

For this project we had no lack of resources. First, we have a lot of time to work on this project, over 2 weeks to build and perfect. We also had access to good tools including band saws, drill presses and jigsaws.

The biggest challenge was really just finding out how to make the car as fast as possible. Getting as close to the target weight as we could while making it as aerodynamic as possible.

From this project I learned a lot about aerodynamics and the forces that act upon a moving object. I also learned how making small changed can have a huge impact on the performance of aerodynamics.