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.
Showing posts with label cowling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cowling. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Southwest Heat 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Good, then bad, then AWESOME!
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.
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.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Nearly There...
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.
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.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
AWESOME!
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.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Launch Party
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.
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.
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