Richard Lander Racing

National Final 2011 Video

2011-11-22T10:13:00.001Z

The good people over at Greenpower have put together a nice video of this years final. A short snippet can be seen below but to buy the full version head over to the shop section of the Greenpower website. If you look carefully you can see myself, Mr Lloyd-King and Mr. Crawley as well as our pit board made by our illustrious ally, Mat Arney.

RLR1 at the National Final 2011

2011-10-17T23:16:00.000+01:00

We have returned after an long and incredibly tiring weekend and once again the team has done superbly.
A nice, leisurely 9am start on Saturday began our journey to West Sussex for the Formula 24 National Final at its regular home of Glorious Goodwood. With our trusty trailer, on free loan from Tyrone Snell, we were on our way. We had been given permission to sign write the trailer so we had spent all day Friday pimping her up and we were pretty proud of how we would roll.

This would be our third trip to the historic circuit, the second with the current car, and we were determined to right the disappointment of the previous year where an hour out of the race with electrical problems put us near the back of the field. We were also once again up against our local rivals and fellow Truronians, Penair School with their car, Blue Raptor, and after the 'racing incident' between us earlier in the season we were determined to finish ahead of them this time.

Before race day on Sunday we had a treat planned for the team. Andy Clarke, husband of our own TA, Emma Clarke, had got us permission to tour the composites factory where he works, Global Technologies Racing. A fantastic opportunity for the team, they got to see first hand the sort of technologies that go into Formula 1 and Le Mans cars as well as getting their hands on a few beautifully crafted carbon and glass fibre components due to be on the track in the near future.

For the first time we had forsaken the camping for the luxury of a Travelodge and the extra comfort, as well as the Olympic breakfast from the little chef next door, meant the team were ready to perform at their best on race day. With the team fed and watered we got cracking on to Goodwood. With the well practiced efficiency we have come to expect from the team we were setup and ready for practice in no time, even after some time out for team photos.

We decided to go to practice with the highest gearing we could theoretically achieve to see if it was practical but the lap times proved to be on the slow side so the team pulled the car in and changed the gear by a single tooth on the lay-shaft and sent the car out for another run but with time enough for only a single flying lap, results were inconclusive. We decided to play safe and change the gearing again before the race but without testing, would it get us to the end of the race? We sent the team out for the parade and to line up on the grid.

With Jacca behind the wheel in for the first stint we were confident of a good start and after all the cars had settled into a groove we were cruising along in 23rd position. Our rivals from Penair School unfortunately pulled out after only four laps with technical problems, a sad way to end a race and not the way we wanted to beat them, but with that goal resolved we focused on our own race.Our pace was consistent and the team were in control but an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration meant that the pit board was missed and the car stayed out for an extra lap before the changeover. Calculations were made, plans rewritten and Ben was put in for the second stint. Driving with the consistency he is known for, Ben crept past a car or two, clocking up the miles and pushing us up to 20th at the end of his run.

With Harrison in for stint three, we were looking for some places to fall but despite some great driving and a few on track incidents to avoid we ended the long stint having only taken one place but he lap times remained consistent and the race was still going to plan. Going into the last third of the race, Gareth took over the driving duties, keen to get the laps he missed out on after the technical problems of the previous year. The counter ticked away and eventually so did the lap times, passably as a result of the missed pit earlier in the day so the team decided to pull him in but a second missed pit board lead to an awfully slow lap as the batteries began to fail. Gareth did well to nurse the car home and it was then time for Becky to finish the race and chase down a few more cars before the chequered flag.

In typical fashion for a Formula 24 race, positions changed and cars swapped places frequently in the last half hour as strategy and consistency begin to pay off for those teams that manage their cars well. Our earlier control of the cars speed was now paying off and we kept the pace consistent as other cars began to run out of juice. As the flag fell at the end of the race, we had fought our way up to 17th place in a field of 75 cars and another PB of 93.6 miles. The team had also impressed the judges with their professional demeanour and knowledge of the car and were presented with the IOM3 'Innovative Use of Materials' Award.

With a fantastic final race completed, the season has now come to a close and we will be saying goodbye to some legendary year 11s from the team. It has been an epic journey and they can all be proud of what they have achieved during their time in the team. The remaining members of the team have some big shoes to fill and with the addition of some new face in the next few months we are keen to get started on some modifications for next year and maybe even start work on a new car...

Live Timing for the Final

2011-10-10T22:12:00.000+01:00

With manic, last-minute preparations going on at RLR HQ there is just enough time for a quick post to mention the live timing for the final this weekend:

http://www.bbk-online.net/gpt/race56.htm

We are now car number 16, which makes us the highest seeded Cornish team, so keep an eye on us online if you can't make the trip to Goodwood with us.

The Final 2011

2011-10-09T20:06:00.002+01:00

This is it. After 9 regional heats and 179 entries the final lineup has been decided. The top 75 cars can now advance to the National Final, at Glorious Goodwood as always, ready to fight for the chequered flag. For a full list click HERE.

This will be our third final and things have never looked better for us. We are now car 16, sitting on the third row of the grid, shoulder to shoulder with such illustrious competition as last year's champions, Zebedee, and our perennial nemesis, Megazord. Our target for the race will be Corporate Challenge qualification which requires us to finish in the top 15 but being so close to the front of the pack makes us think we can do even better, maybe even break the 100 mile barrier, a feat managed by only 4 cars this year.

The arrangements for the day will be the same as for Castle Combe but for those of you who need it, here is the schedule:

0730 - Teams arrive and sign on

0815 - Scrutineering opens

0900 - Team briefing 1

0930 to 1030 - Practice

1040 - Team briefing 2

1100 to 1230 - F24+ race

1300 to 1700 - F24 race

1730 - Prize giving

We will be travelling up to West Sussex on Saturday, taking advantage of early scrutineering at the Greenpower Centre so we can crack on with practice and get the car up to speed as soon as possible. We have also been working on sprucing up the aesthetics of the team, we won the award for 'Best Presented Team' at last years final and we are determined to take it again. Time to get the vinyl cutter out I think. And the spray paint. and the texiprint. and the... ok, this may take some time!

RLR1 at the Western Heat 2011

2011-10-03T14:35:00.000+01:00

Sunday saw another early start for Richard Lander Racing as we made the journey up to Castle Combe for the Formula 24 Western Regional Heat. These early starts and long journeys have been surprisingly good for morale, nothing bonds a team better than shared adversity! A great appreciation goes to Mr. Beech who is doing all the minibus driving, but is it worth the singing?!

With several races done now the team are running like clockwork, flying through scrutineering and getting out to practice nice and early, myself and the other adults just setup our seating and let the team crack on. After a few pace laps from Harrison it was time to debut one of our new drivers, Jack, to take the wheel. As one of the two kids to have attended every race we have done, Jack is finally old enough to get out on the track.

With practice over it was time for the race to begin, Jacca lining up the car for RLR. The starting grid for regionals is a first come first served affair but with the team working so smoothly we managed to get ourselves right on the front row of the grid with such esteemed competitors as Rotary Racer and BY-Pod. The sun was beating down and track temperature rising, this would be a tough race for the drivers.

An swollen field of 49 competitors with a few former champions thrown in for good measure would make this a difficult race, even getting into the top fifteen would be a challenge but that's the target we set ourselves

Our strategy for this race was to increase our gearing to try and find our limit before the final so Jacca knew that he had to pace the car for the long race ahead keeping consistent laps (but still managing to sneak in our fastest lap of the race). by the end of Jacca's stint we were sitting in 18th place.

Next up was Ben to chase down some of those cars who had edged ahead of us and get into that top 15 bracket. With the determination and consistency Ben has shown all season those last few cars were picked off one by one and by the end of his run we were comfortably inside our target in 13th position, but with two thirds of the race to go, could we hold on? Could we do even better?

Time for the long stint, this time it was Harrison. Battling hard for those extra places and holding off the cars chasing us down, at the halfway point Harrison had taken us up to 10th, revealing a frustratingly familiar sight, the back of Megazord! The team from Bristol has finished one place ahead of us at both our previous heats and the team were determined to not let it happen again. As teams rose up and fell away, positions changed regularly but we still couldn't pass Megazord, although we were slowly gaining lap after lap. With ourselves in 9th, Megazord in 8th and Piranha in 7th it was time to start changing batteries. Megazord and Piranha came in first, allowing us to take both positions but we still had to pit ourselves on the next lap. When our time came, the team pulled off annother great pit stop, getting Gareth in and an exhausted Harrison out, and we were out and we settled around the timing board to see if we could beat Megazord and Piranha out, but it was mixed results, ahead of Piranha but still behind Megazord, leaving us in 8th place.

Gareth spent a few laps eating away at 'zords lead, but it wasn't to last, lap times were dropping off, the batteries were failing! Euan made the decision to bring him in a lap earlier than schedule, getting Becky in with the last set of batteries to run for the flag, but with an extra few minutes to run, would she make it?

Becky put in some great laps, tailing 'zord the whole way, putting the pressure on the whole time when completely out of the blue Superformance overtook us both, pushing Megazord and ourselves down to 8th and 9th. With only 12 minutes of the four hour race to go we got our chance, Meagazord's early pace had left them short on juice and they needed a battery change, and we finally overtook with just 8 minutes left on the clock, all we had to do was finish our last lap. As they disappeared up the Avon Rise, RLR1 was ahead with Megazord perilously close behind, the team took up a position on the pit wall to see the cars cross the line. For us the race was down to two cars, the other forty something competitors didn't matter now, only the red of RLR1 and the blue of Megazord, which one would come around first and claim 8th place?

It was blue.

Becky's batteries just couldn't keep up the pace for that extra lap. They had pipped us again!

9th place was our final position, well within our top 15 target and with mileage of 92.5, we continue to improve race after race. We are now 15th on the grid for the final, looking on target for a good result at Goodwood in a fortnights time, we may even beat Megazord one day!

Western Heat Timing

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000+01:00

As always there will be live timing at Castle Combe this weekend, the link is below as is the QR for technophiles:

http://bbk-online.net/gpt/race53.htm

A new feature which is being trialed by Greenpower is a live, interactive news feed from the track side. To check it out follow the link:

http://greenpower.coverpage.coveritlive.com/

There is also a Formula 24+ race before ours which features two fellow Cornish teams, GDS and Launceston College who we wish the best luck.

Western Heat Arrangements

2011-09-25T08:28:00.001+01:00

Next Sunday (2nd October) sees us traveling up to Castle Combe for the Western Regional Heat. With a decent grid place under our belt from Merryfield, we will be using Castle Combe as a bit of a gamble, pushing our gearing a bit further. We will definatly go faster but there is a real risk of coming up short and draining the batteries too quickly. A lot more emphasis will be on the drivers to take smooth lines and efficiently avoid traffic but I am confident they can manage it.

For those of you who want to join us, Castle Combe is just off the M4 between Bath and Chippenham and is well signposted from Junction 17. The schedule for the day is as follows:

0730 - Teams arrive and sign on

0815 - Scrutineering opens

0900 - Team briefing 1

0930 to 1030 - Practice

1040 - Team briefing 2

1100 to 1230 - F24+ race

1300 to 1700 - F24 race

11730 - Prize giving

This is the last chance for teams to qualify so the field will be packed with cars desperate to put some great milages in, 57 cars have signed up for the race, including Megazord, the team that has finished one place ahead of us in both our heats this year. Also competing is Brian, the teams favourate car (after RLR1 of course!)

Merryfield Gallery

2011-09-23T10:41:00.000+01:00

There is now a gallery for the Somerset Heat up there in the galleries section or you can click HERE.

Much thanks needs to go to Mr. Crawley who took most of the pictures, there are some excellent ones in there and you can really get a feel for the changeable conditions on the day.

I also wanted to congratulate the team on how well they handled the open evening last night. With all three adults in the team otherwise engaged they were pretty much left to their own devices and in doing so demonstrated what a professional and independent group they really are. Well done team!

Richard Lander School Open Evening 2011

2011-09-21T12:10:00.001+01:00

This Thursday (22nd) is the school's open evening. There will be members of the team on hand all evening to talk about the car and our successes this season as well as our plans for future development.

Doors open at 5 and stay open til 8. Feel free to drop in and see us, the car and team will be in room Mr. Beech's workshop, room 115.

RLR1 at Somerset Heat 2011

2011-09-18T12:53:00.000+01:00

Our races just keep getting more exciting! A superb effort from the team secured our second podium of the season, bringing home a well earned bronze with the silver so tantalisingly close.

Spirits were high at 5 in the morning as the team met to make the trip up to RNAS Merryfield. With qualification for the guaranteed from our performance at Newquay, this race was all about grid position, a good performance here would move us closer to the front of the grid. We were unfortunately missing Mr Lloyd-King who is expecting a baby any time now.

After making good time on the journey, we arrived with plenty of time to set up our paddock at a leisurely pace, giving us plenty of time to walk the track, get some data and get focused for the days racing ahead of us.

With setup and practice out of the way, it was time to get settled on the grid. We were starting from the 3rd row in a race with 31 competitors, the quality of the other cars was daunting, including the current provisional pole position car, Rotary Racer. Gareth was in the driver's seat for the start, a strong driver and more than capable for the hazards of traffic that comes at the start of the race. After gaining us several places, 40 minutes later, Gareth's time was up and we were 6th.

Next up was Ben for another 40 minutes. The quality of the cars at this end of the race were proving difficult to contend with, but Ben was more than a match for them putting in our fastest lap and taking us to 4th during his run, despite the odd light shower.

With Ben's time up it was time for the long, 80 minute stint, this time going to Becky. She soon settled into a groove, keeping pace with the cars in front, slowly eating away at their lead. It was during Becky's run that the sky really opened up, the downpours were mercifully short but heavy when they came. some of the cars began to struggle with the conditions and the front runners began to bunch up (except Rotary Racer which was ahead of the pack by a country mile) but with our wide track and cool headed driver, our lap times were barely affected.

A cold and wet Becky was finally swapped out for Jacca to continue the chase for 3rd place. Our consistency paid off eventually as MPH put in a few dodgy laps allowing both Megazord and ourselves to pass, we finally had a podium place but we were closely followed by a familiar team, Hummingbird from Plymouth Girls' School.

As the race was entering the final stages, success or failure would depend on how well the teams had managed their batteries throughout the race and Megazord was struggling. At only half a lap ahead of us they made their pit stop, allowing us to take the silver medal position but we had to stop ourselves and it had to be quick if we wanted to keep the position. Unfortunatly some dodgy pit lane marshaling lead to a blocked pit lane and our hopes for 2nd were slipping away as the car stood stationary some distance from our pit crew. We finally got the car in and the team did a great pit stop but it wasn't enough and we emerged back in 3rd place by some way, Lucky for us it was Harrison behind the wheel and if anyone could catch up it was him. After putting some distance between himself and the 4th place car, sights were set on Megazord once again. With only 20 minutes or so their lead was shrinking, we were catching them! As the last few minutes of the race ebbed away we were back to within half a lap and Megazord's batteries were failing, but sadly the checkered flag came down before we could get them, all we needed was a few more seconds as they ended up crawling across the line but it was not meant to be.

The team continues to go from strength to strength and this has been our best result ever with a race distance of 85.5 miles we have jumped from 59th to 20th on the final grid. We also brought home the IMechE 'Best Engineered Car' award to add to our impressive trophy collection.

Future Funding

2011-09-14T10:30:00.001+01:00

Fourth blog post this week, its certainly been as busy start to the term!
A massive congratulations has to go to some of the more senior members of our team (if 15/16 can be called senior!) who have done a great job pitching our project to the Head.

Since our inception in 2007 we have run as a completely self financing project with very little funding from the school, we have only been able to run thanks to the generosity of local businesses. This has left us a bit short this year, without the necessary funding for the coming season, putting all our hard work in jeopardy.

This is when Euan, Spencer and Gemma stepped up and approached the head directly and made a Dragons' Den style pitch to secure some school funding for coming season. Inspired by the initiative of these exemplary members of the team the Head has agreed to an epic contribution of several thousand pounds over the next few years, a fantastic result that secures our project well into the future.

These 3 students are all Year 11s so they will unfortunately be leaving the team after the final in October so they will not get to enjoy the fruits of their labours, making their achievement even more impressive. Working hard for the benefit of others fits very well with the ethos of Richard Lander School and these students are fine examples of this.

Well done guys!

New Website

2011-09-13T12:22:00.000+01:00

The Greenpower website has had a major revamp and it's looking pretty sweet. Not so sure about the yellow text on white though...

Anyway, head over to www.greenpower.co.uk to check it out!

Somerset Timing

2011-09-12T08:53:00.001+01:00

With less than a week to go until our next race the team are getting very excited. With another regional heat run last weekend we have dropped further down the grid to 53rd and will almost certainly drop further after the northwest heat on the 15th. The weekend at Somerset however is our chance to address this and gain pack those slipped places.

If you want to join us and cheer us on directions and schedules can be found in a previous post HERE.

If you can't make it but want to keep track of our progress the live timing can be found at the following link:

http://bbk-online.net/gpt/race50.htm

If you have a smart phone or something similar here's the QR:

We are expecting a great performance at Somerset, the car has never been more ready and the team and the prepared, everything is in place for a good result.

Preparations for Somerset

2011-09-09T11:54:00.000+01:00

After the long summer break we are finally back in the workshop again for some last minute fettling ahead of the next race at RNAS Merryfield in two weekends time. We have finished fitting the new 6 point harness as well as replacing the side impact foam which was looking a bit tatty. All that's left now is to set up the camber and tracking and we are ready.

For those of you who want to accompany us and cheer us on, the race schedule is as follows:

         0830hrs – Teams Arrive and Sign On

          0900hrs – Scrutineering Opens

          0930hrs – Team Briefing 1

          1030hrs – 1130hrs – Practice

          1140hrs – Team Briefing 2

          1200hrs – 1600hrs – Formula 24 Regional Heat

          1630hrs – Prize Giving

We will be running this as a long day trip, leaving from school at 5:00 in the morning and getting back between 8 and 9 depending on how quickly the team pack up!

If you want to make your own way up head for the M5 and take junction 25 onto the A358, heading for Illminster. After about 8 miles take the left turn, sign posted for Ilton. Once on this road, follow the signs for 'Buisness Park'. RNAS Merryfield is a short distance beyond the business park. To check out the route yourself click HERE.

Greenpower Article

2011-08-14T16:42:00.001+01:00

Maurice Hamilton of Grandprix.com has written an article about Greenpower and the Season Opener from back in May. If you want to check it out hit the jump:

http://www.grandprix.com/columns/maurice-hamilton/the-next-newey.html

Midseason Update

2011-07-15T12:08:00.001+01:00

With the summer break fast approaching, I thought i would give an update of how things stand and what we will be expecting from the rest of the season. With seven of the eleven regional heats complete the qualification ladder is starting to show which cars are the ones to beat. 150 cars have competed so far and leading the table is Rotary Racer from Chipping Sodbury, 2009 champions and one of only four cars to break the 100 mile threshold so far this season. Last years most dominant car, Zebedee, has had a slow start, struggling with the new batteries perhaps, but have since shown their colours and put in a big mileage at Rockingham to put them comfortably back in the top ten.

As for us, we are guaranteed our place at this years final after our podium finish but with only the relatively slow circuit of RAF St Mawgan under our belts we are languishing down in 50th position at the moment. However, with RNAS Merryfield and Castle Combe yet to come, we hope to improve upon this massively. RLR 1 still has a lot more to give, there was plenty left in the batteries after the Newquay heat so we will give it a bit more welly at the next race in September.

Our goal for this season, as determined by team captain, Euan, is Corporate Challenge qualification. To achieve this we will have to finish in the top 15 at the National Final @ Goodwood, an ambitious target but one we think the team can really pull out of the bag. The current team is working magnificently and the recent modifications to the car have released so much of her previously unused potential, the future looks bright, the future is Richard Lander Racing!

Qualification Ladder 2011

2011-07-01T14:57:00.001+01:00

Over on the Greenpower website they have just published the qualification ladder for this year. With several regional heats yet to race this list will change over the next few months but it can be found here:

http://www.greenpower.co.uk/uploads/Qualification_Table_30.6.11.pdf

The top 3 teams from each heat qualify automatically and the remaining places are made up by sorting the cars in order of distance covered. We are currently sitting in 30th position but hope to climb up the rankings by putting in some big milages at the more open tracks in the autumn. The position in this table also becomes the grid position in the final so getting high in the list is now our priority now that our qualification is guaranteed.

Back in the Workshop

2011-06-28T21:43:00.000+01:00

Now that the car is back in the workshop we can finally survey the damage from the race last Thursday.
Most of the damage has come from the collision with the Penair car, both right hand wheels are buckled and will have to be trued, right brake disc is coated in a melted layer of solar film and the left hand front axle is bent from where it was forced into the cones.

There are also a few bumps and scrapes which will need attention as well, the rear cowling needs a touch up where it hit the road after flying off mid-race as well as a new fixing system! The seat back also has a crack in it which we will replace before it has a chance to fail.

Our next race will be The Somerset Heat @ RNAS Merryfield on the 17th September 2011, this sounds like its a long way off but it only works out to be four weeks of school time so we had better get to work!

On a more recreational note, the team will be going karting next week as a well done for their awesome performance at the heat last week. The level of professionalism and Independence shown by the team is one of the reasons that Richard Lander Racing is such a great flagship project for the school.

Southwest Heat 2011

2011-06-23T20:37:00.000+01:00

This years heat has got to have been the most exciting race we have driven in. The three top teams, Penair's Blue Raptor, Bristol Grammar's Megazord and our own RLR1, were so evenly matched that the race could have been any body's. The day started off with scrutineering, now made so much simpler with the new MOT system which we passed with ease, allowing plenty of time for practice. Mr Lloyd-King's gear prediction turned out to be right on the money, but some issues with chain tension and some significant play in the steering meant a super quick fettling session before the race itself began.

First in the driving seat was Gareth, one of our best (but maybe not the luckiest!) drivers to set the pace. It soon became clear who the top contenders were and at the end of Gareth's run the team pulled out an excellent pit stop to keep us in with the front runners.

Next up was our newest driver, Becky, who had better lap times round our astroturf than any of the boys! With open track in front of her she was lighting quick. Her inexperience lead to some hesitation around traffic in her first few laps and a penalty for aggressive driving but she soon got into a groove and stayed hot on the heals of the leaders.

Our battery strategy meant the next stint would be a long one so it had to be Harrison to take us to the half way point and beyond. RLR1 is built for speed and not comfort so and extended driving stint is a bit of an ordeal but Harrison put in some excellent, consistent laps, despite loosing the rear cowling along the way, gaining the lead as the two front runners pitted.

To keep the position, the team now had to pit in record time. Harrison was replaced by Ben, the batteries were changed and the car was back out in the premier spot by a hair's breadth. The top three cars, with ourselves in the lead all went diving into the second corner which was already crowded with slower cars. As Ben tried to take the inside line, he was cut up by the Penair car, forcing him off the track and causing some spectacular wheel damage, putting us out for a good 9-10 laps while we repaired the wheel and brake caliper. From defending first place we had dropped down to third and Plymouth School's Hummingbird was right behind us, trying hard to deny us our qualifying place.

After Ben saw out the last of his time, the car had one last pit stop and Jacca finally got behind the wheel. After a bit of a ropey start, he finally got the car going and did enough to see off the challenge from Plymouth School, bringing the car home safely in third place and guaranteeing our place at Goodwood in October.

The team has gone from strength to strength this season and once again they can be extremely proud of their performance. Their tenacity and determination is exemplary, when it looked like our race was over and our chance had gone they got the car back out there and earned their qualifying place. The staff at Greenpower also recognised this, awarding us the Spirit of Greenpower award.

Well done team!

Live Timing

2011-06-20T14:41:00.000+01:00

For all those who can't make it on Thursday you can still keep up with our progress on the Greenpower live timing website. The address is www.bbk-online.net/gpt/race28.htm and is updated in real time as the race progresses.

Back on the Road, Well Almost!

2011-06-14T15:03:00.002+01:00

With the Southwest Regional Heat approaching fast (23rd June, be there!) the car is almost back together after the major overhaul that's been going on since we got back from Silverstone. The most striking new feature is the new slimline look,

This has been done to save both weight and rolling resistance and with a track of over 600mm should have a minimal practical effect on stability. Other weight/resistance savings have been made in the drive train. We have switched from two cantilevered axles to a single transaxle at the rear which has let us get rid of two bearings and their supports. We have also simplified our drive train by removing the CVT gearbox, replacing it with just a regular cassette hub to act as a lay shaft. This has saved us loads of weight and resistance but we do lose out on flexibility on the the track with only a single gear.

The brakes are now mounted on the front wheels. The regulations demand two wheels be independently braked so we have had to mount them up front. This means we take a bit of an aerodynamic hit but this is more than made up for by the weight savings at the back.

The car has also had an aesthetic spruce up with a new coat of paint and brand new decals, just to finish her off properly. There are still a few more tweaks and nudges left to do this afternoon but she should be ready for a pre-race shake down at the end of the day.

Details for Newquay 2011

2011-06-12T16:24:00.000+01:00

The Southwest Regional Heat is now less than a fortnight away and the team are cracking on well with preparations to the car which have included some pretty hefty modifications, I will give some more details in the next post but for now I will pass on the schedule for the day at RAF St Mawgan on the 23rd June:

0900 - Teams arrive and sign on
0930 - Scrutineering opens
1000 - Team briefing
1030 to 1130 - Practice
1200 to 1600 - Race
1630 - Prize giving

This is an open event so anyone can come and spectate. For those who need them, here are the directions, please note that there is no access through the main gates at RAF St Mawgan, we use one of the side entrances:

From A30 at St Dennis roundabout join A39
At the second roundabout take the first exit on the A3059
Continue on the A3059 for approximately 5 miles then turn right, following signs for RAF St Mawgan
Go straight past the main gates to RAF St Mawgan, the crash gates are a short distance further along the road. Marshals will be on hand to direct you from the crash gates.

For those on Facebook we have set up an event, feel free to join here.

New Sponsors

2011-06-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the networking prowess of Gareth's Dad we now have several new sponsors to add to our growing family. Both Brandon Tool Hire and Cornwall Feature Developments have provided us with financial assistance, our team is wholly funded by the generosity of local businesses and individuals so we are always extremely grateful for the help we receive, it really does keep our team running.

More Modifications

2011-05-20T10:24:00.000+01:00

With the experience of the Season Opener under our belts and now knowing how we will be affected by the battery change, the team have been making some modifications to the car to improve the performance ahead of our local qualifying race in June.

One of the major changes, due to the overall reduction in speed is that aerodynamics has become slightly less important but weight has become more important. With this in mind we have put the car on a crash diet. We have removed as much material as possable from the rear sub frame without compromising its strength. This includes the replacement of the cantilevered drive shafts with a single through axle.

This allows us to remove two bearing blocks and theirssupports from the frame but it does mean moving the braking system to the front wheels. One of our kind sponsors, Teagle, have offered to make our new steering assemblies which will now include the necessary mounting points for the brake calipers and also give us much more control over the precise geometry of the steering system.

While the car has been stripped down the team have also been working on the surface finish. We are trying to get a perfectly smooth finish to reduce turbulence as the air flows over the surface. With only a few weeks left until our next race we will have to get cracking to get all these mods completed but we will be working every lunchtime until the car is back on its wheels once more.

Season Opener 2011

2011-05-02T11:42:00.001+01:00

This weekend saw another great event for the team here at Richard Lander Racing. What a great opportunity it was to be racing at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone.

After some last minute fettling on Saturday we were finally on the road and managed to get to the track in good time, time enough in fact to watch the last laps of day from some awesome sports cars, a great education for the drivers on what lines they should be taking when it was their turn the following day.

Sunday morning began with the now traditional egg and bacon breakfast and then it was on the track. The pits were a much more professional affair than we are used to, we had an enormous garage all to ourselves but we quickly made it feel like home with our flags and banners.

After a nerve-wracking time at scrutineering (the new system is certainly thorough!) and Jacca taking the car out for some practice time, it was on to the race. First out was Harrison, our own version of the Stig, who put in some very consistant lap times around the 5:30 region, almost exactly as predicted. A driver change at the half hour mark got Ben out on the track but no sooner had he made it out he was called back in by the marshals. A problem with the car's transponder cost us a couple of laps but the team handled it brilliantly, they stayed calm, took control and got the car back out as soon as the yellow coats stopped faffing around with the only part of they car they are responsible for!

A few more laps from Ben and it was then Gareth's turn to see out the last few joules from the batteries. With very little left in them, speed was way down but we had our most consistant driver in to make the most of it. A recurring issue with the drive shaft saw our batts empty 10 minutes early but we had done enough to claim 28th place from a field of 45, a great result for the first race with the uncertainty of the new batteries.

The team can be proud of their performance and they have shown a level of independence that we have not seen before from any of our greenpower teams. This team and this car certainly have a great future ahead of them and we will see what they come up with at our next race at RAF St Mawgan in June.

Preparations for Silverstone

2011-04-02T16:06:00.002+01:00

The first race of the season is only a few weeks away and things are starting to get a little tense here at Richard Lander Racing! Our new gear hubs have arrived, thanks to the immense generosity of the guys at Fallbrook, and have been fitted and the datalogging system is pretty much complete also. there should even be time for a quick test session over at RAF Portreath after the Easter holiday just to bed everything in and get the drivers a few more hours behind the wheel.

The Season Opener is on 1st May and will be the first Greenpower event to be held at Silverstone. With the Corporate challenge being held on the same day it will be a great weekend of racing. Entry for spectators is free so feel free to make your own way up or join us in convoy on Saturday morning. We will be leaving from school at 9:00 and camping at Silverstone on the Saturday night. Make sure you bring an inflatable or camp bed as Silverstone doesn't have the best camping facilities!

The schedule for race day is then as follows:

0730 - Teams sign in
0815 - Scrutineering
0845 - Team briefing 1
0930 to 1030 - Practice
1040 - Team briefing 2
1110 to 1230 - Season Opener Race
1330 to 1730 - Corporate Challenge Race
1800 - Awards ceremonies

We look forward to seeing plenty of our supporters there and hopefully we can come away with something for our trophy cabinet. For more information and to book space for camping feel free to contact myself at dpascoe@richardlander.cornwall.sch.uk or contact Greenpower direct by going to their website by clicking HERE.

Good, then bad, then AWESOME!

2011-03-17T21:02:00.000Z

The Good - It's been a busy week at Richard Lander Racing. We have finished work on the electrics, the bodywork, the datalogger, the steering and we have even built a rolling road type test rig. With all this complete we got the car up and running on the rig with all the cowlings removed. This however exposed a major problem...

The Bad - as Mr Arney was inspecting the drive chain during testing he suddenly noticed he was getting splattered by some sort of fluid. This turned out to be the transmission fluid from the NuVinci hub. Turns out we may have been spinning it too fast and fluid has been escaping from the seals. The fluid turns out to a custom component and therefore irreplaceable. It was looking like we were about to take a massive financial hit...

The AWESOME - Mr Lloyd-King got to it and made contact with Fallbrook in the USA, the manufacturers of the NuVinci hubs, and told them about our problem hoping they would give us some advice on how to repair it. Their response totally blew us away, they were so interested in the whole project that they are sending us out not one but two replacements! America really is the home of customer service. Thanks to this amazing level of generosity we will be back on the road with minimal downtime. For those who want to know more about Fallbrook and the great piece of engineering that is the NuVinci hub click HERE.

Nearly There...

2011-02-16T21:38:00.000Z

The car is so close to being ready to test, the team has been working hard on several parts of the car at the same time in an attempt to get the car fully functional again and ready for testing after half term. The new electronics system is almost complete, the speed controller being replaced by a more simple relay, although I'm still trying to change the teams mind on this! We have also upgraded to more heavy duty cable which is important due to our long cable run.

At the same time, some of the team have been working on the steering column and tie rods. This too has had some tweaks, the column length has lost about an inch and the whole assembly has been moved forward to meet the new solid bulkhead. This will give us a much more ergonomically positioned steering wheel as well as giving more room to get larger drivers in and out.

The car had picked up a few war wounds in its maiden season and some of the team had been working on this as well. The most damaged parts were the foam sections, the nose cone and the rear cowling picking up plenty of dings between them. A few hours with some surfboard repair paste and a fair bit of sanding and they are both ready for a fresh lick of paint and new vinyl graphics.

The New Bulkhead Is In

2011-01-18T20:06:00.000Z

The team got to grips with the new battery bulkhead today, having glued on the cedar fillets last week they fitted it to the car this evening. We used the animal glue again, just as we did with the original bulkheads, which has been a great oppertunity to introduce the new members of the team to the 'unique' smell of molten hooves!

We are hoping to get the front axle in place by Thursday evening so that the car looks roughly car shaped for the Year 9 options evening, an ambitious task, but I'm pretty sure the guys are up for it. At this rate we should get all the mods done by half term, leaving us shedloads of time to catch up with our friends over at our test spot at RAF Portreath.

2011 Race Calender

2010-12-17T18:28:00.000Z

The dates of the coming season's races have been published over at www.greenpower.co.uk. We really want to focus on racing this year so as well as the Season Opener we will be entered for 3 regional heats. The dates for our races this season will be:

Season Opener @Silverstone - 1st May 2011
Southwest Regional Heat @RAF St Mawgan - 23rd June 2011
Somerset Regional Heat @RNAS Merryfield - 17th September 2011
Western Regional Heat @Castle Combe - 2nd October 2011

A top three place at any of the regional heats will guarantee a place at the National Final @Goodwood on the 16th October 2011. If we fail to win a podium at these events we will have to hope that our race milage puts us in the 'fastest losers' bracket, but hopfully it wont come to that!

Season Opener

2010-12-01T22:34:00.000Z

The date for the Season Opener has been set for the 1st May 2011 and will be held at Silverstone. We have jumped at the chance of getting the car on such a high profile track and will be taking RLR 1 for its first real stretch with the new spec batteries. The Season Opener will be a short race of only 80 minutes, using just a single pair of batteries and will be using the National Circuit track layout. The main event of the day however will be the Corporate Challenge in the afternoon where the top 15 teams from last season take on real, grown up engineers from such companies as Jaguar/Land Rover and Bently.

To find out more about the Season Opener, click here:
http://www.greenpower.co.uk/news/index.php?id=000460

To find out more about Silverstone, click here:
http://www.silverstone.co.uk/track/circuit-maps/

New Batteries

2010-11-30T19:57:00.001Z

The new spec batteries arrived today which means the winter mods can really start to get underway. They are much smaller in size than their predecessors, letting us reduce the size of the battery compartment and making room for growing drivers feet. In the picture below the lighter coloured bulkhead will be installed and the current solid bulkhead will be cut out the match the hollow ones. The whole front axle/steering assembly can then also be moved forward.

Slideshows

2010-11-30T19:45:00.000Z

As a precursor to some design changes which will happen to the blog this winter, I have posted some slideshows of our previous escapades in Formula 24. To view the web albums for each slideshow, just click on the picasa logo in the bottom corner.

RLR 1 @ National Final 2010

2010-11-30T19:02:00.002Z

RLR 1 @ Southwest Regional Heat 2010

2010-11-30T19:00:00.002Z

RLR 1 Build Slideshow

2010-11-30T18:52:00.004Z

V24 Slideshow

2010-11-30T18:40:00.001Z

Nostalgia

2010-11-19T19:56:00.000Z

Tidying up my prep room today I found one of the old promotional disc we had made up for V24, the first car we made. Here it is for all your nostalgic needs:

Need some help?

2010-11-18T13:47:00.000Z

As a team that has achieved a national final in both seasons we have raced in, we have been approached by Vaughan Curnow at Cornwall College to act as a mentor to other Cornish teams who are having trouble getting a car on the track. If this sounds like you then feel free to contact me by email at dpascoe@richardlander.cornwall.sch.uk and we can disseminate some of the experience we have gained over the last few years and hopefully get some more competitive cars from this neck of the woods.

Tyrone Snell Trailers

2010-11-15T21:43:00.000Z

We have a new sponsor to add to the roster of generous local companies. Vaughan Curnow over at Cornwall College has put us in touch with Tyrone Snell Trailers who have offered to provide us with free rental of one of their box trailers whenever we want to use it. So far we have been shifting the car about by lifting it up onto the top of the school minibus which is no easy feat, even with the whole team to lend some muscle! The other issue getting the car on top of the minibus comes when we go for testing at RAF Portreath where working at 2 meters above the ground could expose you to some serious ionising radiation from the epic radar dome.
To find out more about Tyrone Snell, click here:

http://www.tyronesnelltrailers.co.uk/

Winter Modifications

2010-11-12T12:38:00.000Z

With the car back on the rack after being exhibited at a trade show, we really got a chance to see what we will do to the car to improve it for the coming season. Jobs which need to be done include:

New electrical system to replace the field repair from the final.
The new spec batteries are smaller than the last ones so battery bulkhead can be moved forward, giving us more leg room for our drivers.
The way the nose cone attaches needs some attention, The elastic approach didn't really cut it in the end.
We would also like to get some data logging/telemetry on the car. We have sourced some great kit but we will need some additional sponsorship if we want to get this going.

With the new season seeing a new battery spec, cars of all standings are going to be in an experimental mode this coming year. With some extensive testing and practice hopefully this will be our season to really show what the car can do.

The Goodwood Final

2010-10-18T21:45:00.000+01:00

What a weekend! What a dramatic race!

We arrived at Goodwood yesterday with a clean scrutineering check and a car which the organisers had tipped to do well. We had no idea of the dramatic race we had ahead of us!

After some admin delays which cut short our practice session it was decided to alter the gearing to its previous settings. With 2 hours until the parade lap a large part of the car was dismantled, altered and reassembled in record time.

With the car ready to go, it was time for the parade. The boys really looked the part, the retro helmet and wired scarf (kindly provided by Ben's Mum) completing the look.

It was now time for the race. We were starting at the back of the grid, a consequence of our relatively poor mileage at the Southwest Heat, but we got off to a great start, gaining six positions in the first lap. The second lap however was not as great, some extremely reckless driving from another team lead to us being rear-ended by a rival car, The driver was OK but pretty shaken up, the car was fine with only superficial damage.
The car continued at a reasonable pace for the rest of the first half of the race with the next driver taking lap after lap. It was soon after the battery change at the halfway point that disaster struck. The car had stopped on the far side of the track and a backlog of other recoveries meant that we had a long wait to get it back in to diagnose the problem. It turned out to be the seed controller, it had completely burnt out! There was no other option but to do an epic repair job, substituting in a relay box for the controller. This would give us a simple but effective electronic system, but leave us vulnerable to an even more catastrophic motor burnout.

With the best part of an hour spent out of the race, our hopes for a good position were dashed, but we could still see the end of the race on our wheels so we loaded up another driver and got back out there for the final leg. With the car stationary for so long there was still plenty of juice left in the batteries and we put in some flying laps and our final position of 72nd really didn't reflect the skill and ability of the drivers and engineers, but that's motor sport for you.

Despite the disappointing finishing position, the boys can be really proud of their performance. When the chips were down and all seemed lost they pulled together as a team in a way they hadn't before and didn't give up the fight until the very end. With the addition of picking up the best presented team award, it was back to the campsite for some well deserved rest.

Green Day

2010-10-13T08:27:00.000+01:00

This Friday will be Green Day at Richard Lander. What started as an idea for a non-uniform day where everyone has to wear green to promote the greenpower car has become an unstoppable behemoth of an event! It has become a showcase for the local press, not only for the car but for all the environmentally aware activities throughout the school. We will also be visited by Andy Clarke, composite designer for Jordan and Mclaren F1 teams as well as being involved in the construction of Thrust SSC, the current holder of the World Land Speed Record.

RAF Portheath Test Day

2010-10-06T18:43:00.000+01:00

The extremely helpful people over at RAF Portreath have agreed to let us use their runway for testing the car and we spent the afternoon putting it through its paces. With peak speeds pushing 30mph on the down slope and plenty of juice left in the batteries at the end of a long session we are more confident than ever about turning in a great performance at Goodwood in less than a fortnights time.

After Open Evening

2010-10-01T15:25:00.000+01:00

Open evening went really well, many of the prospective new students were keen and many of them had parents with engineering links which is great. The boys were a bit tentative when they were talking to parents at first, but they soon warmed up and were a credit to the team and the school. Here is a picture of the motly bunch:

Open Evening

2010-09-29T11:29:00.000+01:00

Thursday 29th September is the school's open evening from 5 til 8. It will be the perfect chance to see the car, especially the new modifications, and chat to some of the team before the Goodwood Final in few weeks. Hopefully all the graphics and decals will be finished by then!

The Finalists

2010-09-27T17:36:00.000+01:00

Sunday saw the last of the regional heats take place, completing the list of finalists for Goodwood next month. The list can be found here:

http://www.greenpower.co.uk/news/index.php?id=000447

We will be car number 73 with local rivals Penair starting at 70, one grid row ahead. It may end up a bit of a grudge match after they beat us at newquay. With less than 20 days left the pressure is really mounting up.

Reassembly

2010-09-21T17:52:00.000+01:00

Today the boys continued the reassembly of the car, getting the subframe bolted in, the steering linkages and the rear drive shafts installed. Quite a lot of progress for one day, although it was a bit disappointing when one of the rear shafts had to be removed again after it turned out that the brake disk was on backwards. You would have thought we would have learnt, the same thing happened when it was assembled the first time! Work has also continued with the wheel cowlings, they are looking AMAZING in red, as in the pictures below:

The Subframe Arrives

2010-09-14T17:37:00.001+01:00

The newly modified sub-frame arrived yesterday and the boys got to work on polishing it, ready to be installed soon. The roll hoop height was deemed to be marginal at the Southwest regional heat and a note was made in our logbook to change it before our next race, an extra 6" has been added so there is plenty of room under there now, even if our drivers grow some in the near future. The fabrication work was done by the engineers at Callestick Farm through the Rotary Club, completely free of charge, thanks guys!

At the same time today some of us were working on wheel coverings. To improve aerodynamics we have decided to cover the wheels in Solartex, a heat shrinking film normally used on model aeroplanes. This is still a bit of a work in progress but when it is complete the wheels will not only look great dished out in red, but also improve performance.

Back to Work

2010-09-08T19:06:00.000+01:00

With the summer break over, it was back to work this week. The rebuilt wheels arrived today and the modified subframe should be getting here before the week is out, so the car should be back together in no time. Then it's testing and practice until the final in October.

South West Heat, Well done Boys!

2010-06-23T19:39:00.001+01:00

What an awesome day of Racing! The sun was shining on us in Newquay today as the car took to the track in its first competitive race. After a bit of a ropey start the boys settled in and we started to put some consistent laps in. The track surface was really rough on the tyres and some emergency tyre repair took us out for another long period, dropping our position in the field. This was when our star driver, Harrison, stepped up. After putting in some awesome laps we started gaining on the opposition. As the final minutes ticked away we found ourselves in 3rd position with plenty of juice left in the batteries and took lap after lap off the second place cars from Penair and Newton Abbot College; but it proved to be a stretch too far and we finished in the bronze medal position, guaranteeing us a place at Goodwood in October.
As well as the bronze medal, we also picked up some of the supplementary awards. We were awarded the IMechE 'Best Engineered Car' and also the IoM3 'Innovative Use of Materials' awards, but perhaps the most prestigious is the Sustainability Award from CoolEarth who were so impressed with our biodegradable chassis and overall 'green' ethos that we were awarded an acre of Amazonian Rainforest!

RLR1 on the BBC

2010-06-21T22:56:00.001+01:00

Here is the video of us at Perranporth:

Check it out.

Airfield Testing

2010-06-18T21:39:00.000+01:00

Today we went to Perranporth Airfield for some testing. We were given a nice long straight to get the car really going to get a real sense of what it can do. The car performed well but the boys defiantly need some guidance on how to use the gears effectively. The majority of our testing was documented by the local press with BBC Spotlight filming a great deal and interviewing the boys and also myself. There is also some awesome on-board footage which will look amazing on the telly. If you want to catch it we will be on Monday at 6.30pm.

The Launch

2010-06-16T23:14:00.000+01:00

The Launch party was a massive success. There was a great turnout and everyone was very impressed with the car and the boys were excellent hosts. After a speech from Mr Lloyd-King the car was unveiled and the team was photographed with it for the local press, a chance to show off it's new red paintwork. When the lads had stopped vying to be Britain's Next Top Model, the cowlings and the bonnet were removed so the guests could get a good view of all the technical parts which are normally covered up.
With the sun shinning out in the Quad, we took the car out and the boys took it for a spin around the playground, expertly avoiding all the Lamp posts!

AWESOME!

2010-06-15T21:14:00.000+01:00

Tonight was epic! With the launch party only a day away we cracked on with some of the decorative work, putting decals on for the sponsors and also painting the nose, cowling and bonnet. Finally, at about 8 in the evening we had a car that looked amazing! The red paint job and the red vinyl stickers look excellent together and I think we can be really proud to show the car off tomorrow at the launch. As usual we took plenty of photos but I will hold off on posting them so as not to ruin the surprise when the car is officially unveiled.

Crash!

2010-06-11T11:23:00.000+01:00

We got the car out testing yesterday and it was AWESOME! Then it crashed. While we were testing on the tennis courts one of the drivers mis judged the corner and hit the chain link fence. This was his first drive in the car and he was a bit over exuberant behind the wheel! The damage looked worse than it really was with a bent front axle and track rod; an afternoon of tinkering and it was good as new. The biggest damage being the ego of the driver involved.
Back in the workshop, the nose cone is coming together. The foam block, made from the paddle board blank from Home Blown, was glued up on Wednesday and the shaping is now almost finished. Both the rear cowling and the nose will be given a layer of the bio-resin to stiffen them up and protect them from dings as well as giving a nice aerodynamic surface.

Launch Party

2010-05-27T17:15:00.001+01:00

With the car looking more complete every day we are now proud to announce the official launch of the new car. It will be on Wednesday 16th June, 5:30-7:00 and will be in the Dining Hall at Richard Lander School. There will be representatives of our sponsors and press alongside the team and their families.
On a construction note, the foam block for the rear cowling was bonded together with the ply stringer in the middle. The foam is from a paddle board blank which was donated by Homeblown. The foam itself is not particularly eco-friendly but it is a reject so would have ended up in landfill if we hadn't taken it so our green credentials are unaffected. The block will be shaped over the next few days using similar methods to surfboard builders and will help with aerodynamics at the rear of the vehicle.

View From the Cockpit

2010-05-19T20:29:00.001+01:00

With so many parts coming together I thought it would be interesting to see what it would look like from the drivers POV. It had to be through a photograph, there's no way I would be able to fit in the drivers seat. The steering wheel is starting to look awesome, there is still some control gear and a speedometer to go on yet but there is definitely a high-tech/retro fusion thing going on.

Front wheels

2010-05-17T22:00:00.001+01:00

Front wheels are on and the steering column is in, they just need track rods to join them up. Work has started on the bracket for the brake callipers and the steering wheel is cracking on nicely. At this point we seem to have a million smaller jobs which need doing but now that we have a rolling chassis excitement is starting to build, especially at the prospect of getting it going under its own steam by the end of the week!

Our Sponsors

2010-05-06T14:32:00.000+01:00

With the car progessing so well, we are soon going to be thinking about decals and sponsor logos so I thought it would be a great time to reaffirm our thanks to all the companies and individuals who have helped us to get this far.
Ladds Concrete have supplied us with epic amounts of funding, without which we would certainly be struggling to complete this project, especially to the high standard we have set for ourselves.
Woodstock have donated, free of charge, all the ply and cedar used in the chassis construction as well as providing thier expert advice on some construction techniques.
Teagles, especially Callum Evans, have machined the drive shafts and bearings as well as some smaller machining jobs, not only providing labour for free but also sourcing materials at thier own cost.
Our aluminium subframe was constructed by Mr McReady's contact at the Rotary Club, again supplying materials and labour free of charge.
Bike Chain in Redruth have also been helpful in supplying wheels and brakes at reduced cost.
We are extremely grateful to all these companies for their help and support and now that the regional heat is approaching we hope to repay them with a great result.

Looks Like Progress

2010-05-04T20:09:00.001+01:00

Well today's progress was monumental, the rear of the car was drilled and the subframe and shafts were mounted into the main chassis. It is definitely looking like a car now, well the back end is anyway.

It's Got Wheels!

2010-04-29T20:14:00.002+01:00

This week has seen the arrival of the wheels and brakes from Bike Chain, allowing the rear subsection to be aligned and assembled, just needs a bracket for the callipers and it is pretty much there.

The last few days has also seen work on the bonnet section with the main assembly yesterday and release from the jig today. Now it's free a hole for the driver can be cut and the silk/bioresin composite process can get under way. Then we can start to think about the finish we will give the whole body, most likely a hot coat of resin to get a nice glassy sheen, another technique lifted from the surfboard builders in the workshop nextdoor!

It's the second team Friday tomorrow, so all the lads will be wearing their team hoodies instead of their regular uniform. Hopefully we can get organised enough for some pictures this time!

Back to Work

2010-04-22T12:57:00.000+01:00

Work has resumed on the car after the Easter break, luckily none of the team is stuck overseas! Work continues on the drive chain with the addition of the sprockets and chain from HPC Gears, The gig used for the body has now been reworked into the gig for the bonnet section and the electronics for the autochanger have been prototyped and are ready for testing. With only 2 months to go to the heat however, we need to start getting a move on if we want to do any significant testing before hand.

Composite Process

2010-03-10T21:29:00.000Z

The large bottom piece of silk was attached on Tuesday and the resin cured off. The bottom sheet overlaps the sides a bit and then when the sides go on they will overlap the bottom a bit, creating a double layer of silk over the joint in the woodwork, a technique stolen from the guys making surfboards in the workshop next door! The bioresin is UV cure so it goes under the sun bed to cook. The great advantage of this is that it can be worked for as long as we need, it doesn't cure until it goes under the lamps.
At the same time, Mr Beech has been working with some of the boys on the steering hardware, to Mr Lloyd-King's designs.

Drive Shafts

2010-03-04T13:00:00.000Z

We had a visit from Calum Evans from Teagle Machinary today and he brought with him the rear drive shafts theat he has been working on for us. This is a really exciting stage of the build now as the outsourced components are coming in and the hard work that has been put in by everyone really starts to show. Also I think Mr Beech is alot happier now that he has some metal to work with!

Subframe Arrival

2010-03-02T14:59:00.000Z

The rear subframe arrived today, the manufacturing of which was arranged by Andy McReady and his contacts at the Rotary Club. This will carry the drive chain including the rear axles and also form the roll hoop and part of the seat.

It's Free!

2010-02-23T19:58:00.000Z

The Chassis was removed from the jig today and the boys got to work on fettling the edges and cutting the curve at the rear. We can now start with the silk and bioresin composite process in the next week or two.

Epic Update

2010-02-22T23:15:00.002Z

Well, so much has happened since the last post that I am not sure where to start! First of all we have a new sponsor to thank, Teagle Machinery of Blackwater have very kindly agreed to machine our drive shafts for us and have also volunteered to sort out the bearings for them too for which we are very grateful.

We also had several deliveries over the past couple of weeks, we are now the proud owners of a new motor and race batteries. At the same time the Nu Vinci gearbox arrived, a purchase made possible by the generous funding provided by Ladds of Redruth, a big thank you to them.

And finally perhaps the most dramatic piece of news; a major leap taken just before the half term, with the bulkheads finally complete the chassis could be glued together with the bone glue. It was all hands on deck for this with everyone pitching in to get the bone glue on before it cooled and then clamped into the jig.

It's Official

2009-12-09T13:27:00.002Z

We have now recieved our entry confermation with the date of our heat, it will be on the 24th June 2010. That should give us plenty of time to build and fully test the car before the season starts. The venue is Newquay Airport this year, a new track to us so we will definatly have our work cut out for us! To qualify for Goodwood we have to procure a podium finish which last year was a drive of about 60 miles in 4 hours, a tough task but one that I am sure that we will be more than capable of. On a construction note, the fillets which reinforce the bulkheads are ready to be glued into place using the bone glue which will happen in the next few days so we are still on track for the Christmas deadline for the box chassis.

This Week's Progress

2009-12-01T20:42:00.002Z

The floorpan and all the bulkheads are now cut, a little sanding and they will be complete. Work has also started on the cedar fillets which will reinforce all the joints. The three way mitres are proving complicated, but after plenty of practice with scrap wood the boys are ready to cut the real ones tomorrow.

Laminate Flooring

2009-11-25T16:41:00.008Z

The floor pan was laminated using the bone glue yesterday, using almost every clamp in the DT department! The honeycomb section was sandwiched between the two solid layers to create a solid base without all the associated weight. After releasing it this lunchtime I think we can be very proud of the result. The lift in the back section came out brilliantly; the curves at the front and back just need to be cut and the excess glue fully removed and we will have a complete panel. At this rate we should have the box chassis ready by Christmas.

New Sponsor

2009-11-04T22:34:00.004Z

I would like to offer a warm welcome and a big thank you to our newest sponsors, Ladds from Redruth. They have agreed to provide us with a massive amount of funding, so we will can now definitely afford all the components we wanted, including that NuVinci CVT hub we had our eyes on!

First cuts

2009-10-20T20:41:00.004+01:00

The first plywood panels were cut today, we are now well under way on the construction of the floor pan, the side pannels and the internal bulkheads, that's all the panel components except the bonnet all out of two sheets of ply.
The picture is the panels held in place to get a feel for size, all the internal panels will be cut to match the hoop shaped one and the whole lot will then be glued together using biodegradable glue and then laminated.
Massive thanks to Woodstock in Penryn who have very generously provided us with all of our wood absolutely free of charge, this would be a much more difficult build without their help and support.

Wheels

2009-10-19T20:53:00.003+01:00

Bike Chain in Redruth have agreed to build our wheels for us, they will have 20mm Hope hubs and they are looking into super narrow 20" rims for us which are normally used on recumbent bicycles. It's great to have Bike Chain back on board again, they were really great as sponsors for the V24 and we are looking forward to working with them again on the new car.

Tested to Destruction

2009-10-13T20:51:00.003+01:00

We got to test the different backing materials today. We have been making test pieces for the last couple of weeks consisting of right angles of ply, laminated with bio-resin and different backing materials. What we learnt today was that cotton and muslin really sucked but the silk was very nearly a match for the glass fibre, in fact it was so good we are now defiantly going to use it on the car. The chassis of the car will now be fully biodegradable, we are definatly putting the green into Greenpower.

RLR 1 Design

2009-10-09T20:33:00.007+01:00

Here is a nice CAD shot of the new car design, all the work of Mr Lloyd-King. Its a monocoque construction of birch ply and bioresin, probably with silk acting as the backing material for the resin.

New blog!

2009-10-06T20:06:00.003+01:00

Well, this is the very first entry in the Richard Lander Racing blog. This is where we will be posting updates on the build process of the new car as well as our progress when we finally get racing in the coming season. First, a bit about Greenpower, the competition we will be racing in. Greenpower is a competition for young engineers, aged 11-16 to build and race an electric car. Everyone starts with the same motor and batteries but beyond that the teams are free to build the car in whichever way they choose. The races are endurance races, lasting 4 hours with no charging of batteries allowed during the race and no adults are allowed to work on the car during pit-stops.

The V24 was our entry in the 2008 season and made it all the way to the final at Goodwood motor circuit in Sussex. Hoping to do even better this year, construction of RLR 1 is already under way, albeit at the very early stages but stay tuned for updates and photos from the build as it happens.