| Day at the Races - Plymouth's Grand Prix | |
|  | | The fastest car in the South West |
| | Plymouth students have built the fastest model car in the South West, using computer technology and carbon dioxide powered Formula 1 models. The models are made of balsa wood, and they can travel 20 metres in just over a second. |
| | | Students from one of Plymouth's secondary schools have been racing Formula 1 cars - but they're unlikely to be heading for Silverstone just yet.
The students from Devonport High School for Boys have been racing carbon dioxide powered model F1 cars.
The vehicles - which are designed and built using computer aided design - reach speeds of up to 60mph.
The pupils design the cars using a special computer programme, then they make them from balsa wood using a computer controlled machine.
The students then paint them and add the wheels.
 | | Teacher, Julian Meek, at the South West Technology Centre |
The project was part of the F1 Team in Schools Challenge - a competition open to all secondary schools and colleges, to design and manufacture CO2 powered model racing cars.
Julian Meek is a Design and Technology teacher from Devonport High School for Boys, and he says they've been working on their entry for a year.
"We're an engineering college, so we decided to take part in the competition, and we began with everyone in Year Eight taking part," explained Julian.
"Then we chose the six pupils who designed the best cars to form the team for the competition."
 | | The cars race along the 20 metre track, powered by CO2 gas |
The process of designing and building the cars shows the pupils how to use the software. And Julian says it also teaches them about aerodynamics.
The cars are released in twos from a launching mechanism.
A pin is fired which lets the gas out of both cars at once. They then power along a specially made race track, leaving a cloud of CO2 gas in their wake.
The Devonport team created the fastest car in the South West. It beat all the other entries in both the 11-14 and 14-18 age groups.
 | | The computer-designed car |
The car travelled 20 metres in 1.187 seconds, averaging a speed of 60 kilometres an hour.
This means it would have reached speeds of 90-100 kilometres an hour (around 60 mph).
But the team didn't win the heat overall, as the competition also involves a presentation explaining how they designed and built their car. But the team of six boys remained determined at the end of the regional heats.
"They loved it," said Julian, "as soon as it was over they said they'd be back next year. We plan to take two teams, and they want to win next time."
The next regional finals are being held in December 2005.
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