Australasia 2003

[Charles A]

Anyone interested in attending Australasia 2003?? Some of the Cali schools are talking to get things going...

[Charles A]

Anyone interested in attending Australasia 2003?? Some of the Cali schools are talking to get things going...

[Charlie]

Yes, because of our outstanding finish we are planning on making the trek. The details ALL need to be worked out still. Schools planning on attending, especially near AL, lets hear from you, we can make it more cost effective for all of us. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

-Charlie Ping
Auburn University FSAE 1999-present
http://eng.auburn.edu/organizations/SAE/AUFSAE/sig.jpg

[Bob Wright]

please come out to the Aus competition. The standard of cars out here is fantastic with at least three our four teams lapping about as fast as Wollongong, and you get two goes at endurance (i think most teams would love that).

see you in about 200 days

Bob Wright
Monash University
Australia

[gug]

this years oz comp is at taliem bend, in south australia, right on the beautiful murray river. will be a wonderful place to have the event, and you are almost certain to get a 35-40 degree sunny day. you might want to even consider hiring a houseboat to stay on during/after the event!
http://www.kiamarina.com.au/credence_3.jpg
okay, this is really just a blatant bit of advertising for our houseboat industry, but it would be a kick-ass place to stay. if my family finishes our houseboat in time, ill be kicking back in luxury, while you'll all be in tents! hahaha! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

"I come from a land down under,
Where beer does flow and men chunder"

[Denny Trimble]

University of Washington is determined to make it to Oz this year. Combined shipping from the Northwest, anyone? I've heard U-Vic is interested...

Send me an email, dennyt@u.was----ton.edu (fill in the spaces unless you're a spambot).

University of Washington Formula SAE ('98, '99, '03)

[Disco]

Hello All,
My name is Steve Price and I'm the Project Leader for RMIT University, Melbourne. If you American teams (or any other team for that matter) feel that there is anything we can do to help you guys get out here, give us a yell. I figure the more teams out here the better.
Cheers
Steve

[Dave Riley]

Yep, I'll second that.

If any teams need any help we'll be more than happy to help. Send me an email: uwafsae@ee.uwa.e*u.au.

You might find it easier to ship your cars through Western Australia, not sure how this will work... but if anyone is doing this we might be able to help when you get here.

And Perth's a great place for a holiday before or after the comp!

A word of warning: have a look at your cooling. It will be *hot* http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_redface.gif We have had heaps of troubles getting our car cooling properly in the WA sun.

Cheers

Project Manager
UWA Motorsport 03

[Richard Lewis]

Denny I can't see our budget letting us go out there this year. There was talk about skipping the Detroit event in favour of the Australia one, but it was no more than just talk I'm afraid.

-------------------------
UVIC Formula SAE Team
http://members.shaw.ca/drax77/Formula%20UVic%20Sig.jpg
http://uvic.fsae.ca

[1]

so, roughly what does it cost to ship a car from the US to Austrailia? Who do you ship it with?

[Fresno State]

Can someone keep me in the loop for the Cali schools going down under? Cal. State Fresno may be interested.
Thnx
Reply to:
Thomaslockton@hotmail.com

[PatClarke]

Hi,
Thanks for the opportunity to speak to so many of you in Pontiac.
I suggest any team hoping to attend FSAEA should lodge an interest with Steve Daum at SAE pronto.
I understand he is speaking with a sponsor about bulk shipping FSAE cars to Adelaide.
In any case remember what I told you about the good weather good looking women (and guys =])

Pat

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[Eddie Martin]

I spoke to a lot of teams who were interested in coming to OZ. Going to an overseas competition is a lot of work, but it is definitely worth it in the end. You have a completely finished car, after the first competition, and then you get 2 or 3 months to tune it. Future cars definitely benefit.

I thought I'd put down some hints and tips that we have learned from our overseas adventures.

- 8 to 10 people is about where you should be. Less than 8 and you might be short of manpower sometimes. More than 10 and things become difficult to organise. (eg. More rental cars, motel rooms and more money).
- Get two rental cars. If one breaks down you will still have transport. Go with a reputable company as cheap ones can produce problems. Also check about people under 25 and over 21 as it can cost a lot more.
- Get to the competition city about a week in advance of the competition. It will give you time to adjust to the climate, food, jetlag and driving on the other side of the road.
- Make sure you have one person whose job it is to look after food and transport. In our team we normally miss a lot of meals unless somebody actually hands food to us and says eat. Even though we didn't get much sleep a full stomach really helps.
- Make sure you tell your shipping company the car needs to be there two weeks before the competition starts. We almost didn't get ours till 2 days before the competition started.
- Make sure you run you're car before the comp. A shakedown test will really help. Thanks a lot to Oakland Uni and Kettering Uni for your help.
- For a budget (I'm talking oz to the usa and back, I assume the cost would similar in the other direction) it will cost about $25,000 US. That's for getting the car there, people there (which is the main cost), accommodation, rental cars etc. The best way to do it is make a 100% commitment to go and then find the funds. For the 2003 US competition we were $3000 OZ in the red when we shipped the car.
- Remember to have a whole heap of fun on the journey.

If anybody has any questions, needs help while in OZ or whatever email me at eddiem@catchnet.c*m.au.

Regards
Eddie Martin
Uni of Wollongong

[Disco]

Eddie,
Fun should be the number one priority for all teams. No matter if we come first or last this year, the one thing I do know is I'll have fun doing it. The other thing I know is that I'm going to be legless The Sunday night after the comp!
Cheers
Steve

[Eddie Martin]

Steve,
Sometimes i do wonder whether it is for fun when you spend so many hours doing it but there are so many fun times along the way you do remember it is all for fun.
I think Claude Rouelle said it is better to come 4th and be having lots of fun than finish 2nd and be miserable. Claude is a very smart guy.

Regards
Eddie

[Fergus Wilson]

Yes, but look out for Eddie's idea of "fun" in the next issue of our 2003 newsletter, available online Tuesday.

Fergus Wilson
Project Manager
UOW Racing 2003

fw01@uow.edu.au
www.uow.edu.au/eng/racing/ (http://www.uow.edu.au/eng/racing/)

[Frank "Ruska"]

Fun it´s all about. We were in Australia the last 2 years. 2001 our car wasn´t really good, but we had a lot of fun over there in melbourne http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif. 2002 we even had more fun, maybe our good car helped, unless the fuelpump failed http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif. Plan to make some holidays over there, maybe u never will go to australia again, and if u will see a lot of australia you need a lot of time. And if you go, there are many things you have to look for, like quarantine and custom. Eddie is rigth, you need some days before the event for testing. Last year it was really helpfull, and thansk again to all AUSSIE Teams how helped us in 2001 and 2002. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Unfortunatly we can not come this year but Detroit we will come 2004!

Frank Röske
Student Racing Team
University of Applied Sciences Stralsund/Germany

www.student-racing.de (http://www.student-racing.de)

[Frank]

it would be well wicked to see many US teams down here this year...

On the topic of logistics, I think you'll find the cost of food and accommodation quite low..

Perhaps RIT would be a good team to consult, as they have been here each year 2000/2001/2002

i'd imagine "frank ruska"'s comments about quarantine and custom should be noted.. although i've never been fsae'ing overseas, I've noted Australian quarantine is very strict for domestic travel compared to the few countries I've been too, my (more well travelled) friends agree...

if you have any general questions about Australia feel free to e-mail us at
f s a e @ ??? mailbox .uq.edu.au (remove spaces and question marks)

The Australian technical advisor would probably love to hear from you if you have any technical questions. His name is Pat Clarke and he's a top guy. you can find his contact details at http://www.sae-a.com.au/fsae/downloads/newsletters/fsae_06_2003.pdf


The only rule differences (to my knowledge) is no ethanol/E85 etc fuel (premium unleaded only) and "the two enduros" rule. There's an AUS rules addendum available at http://www.sae-a.com.au/fsae/downloads/2003_Rules_Addendum_Aust.pdf

Frank

[PatClarke]

Quote Frank...
"The Australian technical advisor would probably love to hear from you if you have any technical questions. His name is Pat Clarke and he's a top guy."
Awe shucks I'm all embarassed now...and to think our first conversation went along the lines "Get off your fat ass and do what is expected of you" remember ? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

And of course, you can contact 'Pat D'Rat' much easier than following the link Frank gave you....just click on 'reply' http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

look forward to seeing a whole bunch of you in Adelaide.
Pat

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[Frank]

and i thought you were trying to hide the true identity of the fearless technical advisor http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif


and guys, if you ever get asked for report about your team's progress.... don't answer "i'm too busy to write a report at the moment"

i hear he doesn't like 4WS and 4WD on first year cars too http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[PatClarke]

Nah Frank, thats my evil twin http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[Scott Wordley]

Fifth year cars are fine though right?

Regards,

Scott Wordley & Roan Lyddy Meaney
Monash FSAE Wingmen
http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae

[woollymoof]

Scott & Roan,

I've gotta know how you are doing the 4WD. It's too late in the year for any other Aussie uni's to do it, so how bout a bit of info to tantelise the taste buds.

[Bob Wright]

Fair enough... Although its still plenty early for any US teams...

We'll Start a new topic to discuss it.

Bob Wright
Monash University
Australia
http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae

[gug]

just to let all you non-ozzies out there know - dont be fooled by fosters. it is an example of australian ingenuity. we bottle toxic waste into small glass bottles, call it beer, and export it onto hundreds of unsuspecting countries. the real beer we drink for ourselves. youll have to come over here to taste the good stuff! why dont you time your visit for about december this year, and maybe bring a car with you...

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Disco]

I saecond what Gug's saying. Foster's is truly a quality crap beer.

Look forward to having abeer with you on the Sunday night Gug.
Cheers
Steve

[Big Bird]

A few more notes for our friends in the Northern Hemisphere who want to make the trek down under:

1. Firstly, don't forget that down here in the Southern Hemisphere you find a few things opposite to what you'd expect. Due to the Coriolis effect water flows down the plughole the wrong way, and similarly the reversed magnetic polarity will mean your engines are going to run backwards. Don't forget to adjust accordingly. If you are running an ECU you'll have to reverse all the settings and mount the box upside down. For points ignition, reverse the contacts and cut a left handed thread into the spark plug.

2. Gravity works in the opposite direction to what you are used to. As such you won't make it to the design finals unless you car weighs OVER 500lbs.

3. Watch out for wildlife. This year's event is being held in outback South Australia, and the area is frequented by Giant Red Kangaroos, snakes, crocodiles and the occasional feral koala bear. No need to panic, but it has been known for crocs to attack FSAE cars, mistaking them for very fast wombats. In case of attack we suggest you fabricate your bodywork out of 5mm steel checkerplate. Your drivers will thank you, and it will also help in the design event (see point 2 above).

4. Due to the almost 2:1 exchange rate between Australian and American dollars, restrictor size here is 10mm diameter. For English teams it is 6mm (since the pound sterling is stronger).

5. You'll pick up on the local vocabulary, but a good thing to remember is that design judges here are called "tossers". (This is because they "toss" questions at us and we have to answer them). It is also customary to offer some polite compliments to them during the comp. Therefore if a design judge offers some praise for your car, say something like "Thanks mate, and we think you are a great tosser".

Hope this helps, and we look forward to seeing you at our comp.

Sincerely,

Geoff Pearson
RMIT FSAE
Melbourne Australia

[Frank]

ROFL

[gug]

you forgot the most horrendous of all the native fauna, the deadly dropbears. a distant relative of the koala bear, the dropbear has 9 inch, razor-sharp nails. they hunt at night, where they drop out of a tree (hence the name dropbear), and latch onto the head of the unsuspecting passer-by. they feed off brains, and do not release their victim untill the morning, where they go back to sleeping in the trees.
it is for this reason alone that no australian formula sae team conducts late night testing alone in the woods...

you can see monash's anti-dropbear device on their 2002 car:
http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae/168.jpg
as for the hair, well, not even dropbears can explain that one...


okay, here is a fact for all of you: koala bears ferment the gum leaves in their stomachs. they are actually drunk 100% of the time!

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Amos]

gug.. how often do you add to intelligent conversations on this forum...... Fairly funny stuff but buddy.... keep it up!!!!

If it aint broke, still fix it!.... you'll do a better job.

[Marc Jaxa-Rozen]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>5. You'll pick up on the local vocabulary, but a good thing to remember is that design judges here are called "tossers". (This is because they "toss" questions at us and we have to answer them). It is also customary to offer some polite compliments to them during the comp. Therefore if a design judge offers some praise for your car, say something like "Thanks mate, and we think you are a great tosser".<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ROTFL. Stop it, I'm supposed to be working dammit...http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[gug]

important update on the dropbear situation!
i believe i have found the source of the deadly dropbears, they must be a cross between a panda bear and a koala bear. you see, the chinese have known about dropbears for a long time. they were designing anti-dropbear safety hats centuries ago. have a look:

http://arts.lausd.k12.ca.us/history/china/images/a-231.jpg
http://www.central.k12.ca.us/akers/emperors_hat.jpg

these hats are possibly the source of the aussie akubra hat:
http://www.akubra.com.au/images/jlall.jpg
(btw, this is the john laws special akubra for those australians out there, a very sought after hat. perfect for beating the shit out of the opinionated fool)
but to my mind, it is hopeless under-designed. 9 inch nails could rip through it in seconds.

now ned kelly on the other hand, he knew what he was on about:
http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/images/figure%20special/rh180.jpg
some say it was so he couldnt be shot, but i know it was really to protect against dropbears. all you americans out there, you might want to consider redesigning your helmets! i suggest ned kelly's approach, but to prevent the dropbears getting a claw-hold, it may be worth removing the vision slit
use the force, luke!

gotta run now people, need to get home before it gets dark and the dropbears come out. stay safe

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[This message was edited by gug on August 14, 2003 at 06:06 AM.]

[Frank]

some updates from the UQ camp

http://www.uq.edu.au/fsae/2003construction.htm
http://www.uq.edu.au/fsae/2003dyno.htm

just another comment about the dropbears...

Monash have been talking alot about "wings" on their car.. the truth is, they are nothing but dropbear deflectors http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/franko/dropbears.jpg

[fade]

i knew that whole "downforce" reason was fake http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Scott Wordley]

Good one frank, its taken me about 10 minutes to stop laughing before I could write a reply.

Just wanted to say great work on the dry sump, very very tidy, particularly like how you've plumbed the pickups and returns.

How are all the other Aussie teams going? Its been pretty quiet round the traps this year. Whose going to be first out on track?

Regards,

Scott Wordley

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae

[gug]

hahahah! i love it!

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Big Bird]

Australian History 101

A bit of a history lesson for the tourists.

A couple of posts back you would have seen some funny looking bloke with a big tin hat, sort of looks like some B-grade Stormtrooper. His name was Ned Kelly, and he was a notorious bushranger here in the mid 19th Century, known for both his daring daylight robberies and his outstanding community work in developing a range of fashionable and affordable dropbear-proof after-five wear.

I was most pleased that our dear friend Gug was able to find a poster print from what was one of the most famous dropbear-awareness campaigns of the 1850's. If you look to the right of dear old Ned, you will see a warning sign that may appear to read "Glenrowan" if you are currently in the Northern Hemisphere. This may not make sense. However once you cross the equator, a combination of gyroscopic and Coriolis effects will of course reverse the lettering and you will read the true meaning of the message - "Naw Orn Elg", or when translated from Olde Australian, "Gnaw On Leg".

You see, poor old Ned didn't think of his legs when he was constructing his seemingly impenetrable suit of armour. One fateful afternoon the local constabulary were tipped off that Ned and his mates were on the p*ss at the local boozer, so they ambushed him. After the cops set fire to the pub, Ned came out all guns blazing. The cops were well prepared, and opened fire on him with their newly acquired dropbear catapult. Dropbear after dropbear was fired at his head and body, to no avail, (you can see in the poster the dents where their nine inch nails failed to penetrate the armour). They were ready to give up when one of the more astute officers decided to fire at Ned's legs instead. The first drop bear opened up a gash near Ned's knee, and he stumbled. The next hit him head on, and he was down. The police fired dropbear after dropbear into him, the vicious beasts tearing apart his legs. Ned was caught, and one of our most renowned criminals was no more.

The history books read that Ned was hanged to the death for his crimes. The vicious creatures dragged him up into the trees, where they gnawed from the legs up in their quest to feast on his brains....

So the poster literally warns travellers to wear the best possible protection or you may meet a grisly demise.

Hope this helps. If you learn nothing else from this lesson, don't forget to print all your sponsors logos and race numbers backwards, otherwise once you cross the equator they will be unreadable.

Naw Orn Elg!!!

Geoff

Geoff Pearson
RMIT FSAE 2003

Design it. Build it. Break it.

[Frank]

omg

[DJ Jockey]

Frank - I thought drop bears fell from the sky not picked up from the track?

Seriously - can cars without wings buy insurance against drop bear attacks?

[Eddie Martin]

UOW Racing is, for a limited time, offering comprehensive drop bear insurance. This package will protect you and your team from this menace that is terrorising society. A comprehensive package is available at a bargain price of $US499 for full team coverage. Hurry this offer is for a limited time only.

Eddie Martin
UOW Racing

[Big Bird]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Eddie Martin:
UOW Racing is, for a limited time, offering comprehensive drop bear insurance. This package will protect you and your team from this menace that is terrorising society. A comprehensive package is available at a bargain price of $US499 for full team coverage. Hurry this offer is for a limited time only.



DJ,

If UOW can't help you out, there is a company here called AMP - they specialize in Airborne Marsupial Protection.

Hope this helps.

Geoff



Eddie Martin
UOW Racing<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Geoff Pearson
RMIT FSAE 2003

Design it. Build it. Break it.

[DJ Jockey]

Does anyone have contact details for UOW or amp?

Does monash licence their technology, or do people just have to do what other fsae teams do (ie: copy)?

[gug]

poor old ned. ive often heard of people going to the pub, staggering out and getting hit by a car. but its not every day that you stagger out of the pub and get hit by hundreds of dropbears...

due to one of our team-members misinterpreting the word "jounce" as the word "joust", we now have a great big stick pointing out of the front of our design for the new dynamic event, the jousting match. monash may have passive protection against the dropbears, but we now have aggressive! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Big Bird]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gug:
poor old ned. ive often heard of people going to the pub, staggering out and getting hit by a car. but its not every day that you stagger out of the pub and get hit by hundreds of dropbears...

due to one of our team-members misinterpreting the word "jounce" as the word "joust", we now have a great big stick pointing out of the front of our design for the new dynamic event, the jousting match. monash may have passive protection against the dropbears, but we now have aggressive! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Last week I heard our Team Leader misinterpreting the words "heave" and "roll" after Bar Night at Latrobe Uni.

Cheers,

Geoff

Geoff Pearson
RMIT FSAE 2003

Design it. Build it. Break it.

[Scott Wordley]

DJ Jockey,

Sorry to disappoint you but our PDBP (Premium Drop Bear Protection) Package is fully patented and does not come cheaply.

We've spent hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel developing the most effective airborne mammal protection known to man and can guarantee its effectiveness in protecting your FSAE car from the ongoing hazards of drop bear attack.

This video shows us attempting to simulate a 'worst case' (80kg) drop bear collision at 60km/h. We grow 'em big down here.

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae/dropbeartesting.avi

so don't take the chance.
Reclaim test night.
When it comes to the ultimate in dropbear protection insist on Monash Premium Protection.
Or risk becoming another statistic.

PS I think workshop fever is setting in.

Regards,

Scott Wordley

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae

[George]

The codec needed for videos:

http://www.morgan-multimedia.com/

Guys i'd suggest putting your videos in a more common format - mjpg codecs aren't included with windows media player 9 meaning you have to download it sperately. DivX is always a pretty good solution.

Interesting video though... http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

UQ Racing Team Leader 2003
www.uq.edu.au/fsae (http://www.uq.edu.au/fsae)

[Frank]

yeah but watch the "adware" with the free divx codec download.. which "ad-aware" can't find.. cunning

regards

frank

[gug]

who actually is coming from the states? there seems to be pleanty of interest, but so far the only confirmed that i have heard of is auburn. ive heard lots of rumours about bath coming over with their hydrualic 4wd, can someone from bath confirm? how about RIT?

hmmm, i hope we havent scared anyone off with all the talk about dropbears. this thread is enough to convince everyone that us australians are all completly insane.

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Daves]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>bath coming over with their hydraulic 4wd<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bath's car is amphibious?!? Shipping is no longer a problem then.

[gug]

http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[gug]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Bird:
No need to panic, but it has been known for crocs to attack FSAE cars, mistaking them for very fast wombats. In case of attack we suggest you fabricate your bodywork out of 5mm steel checkerplate. Your drivers will thank you, and it will also help in the design event (see point 2 above).

Sincerely,

Geoff Pearson
RMIT FSAE
Melbourne Australia<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

designing your car with steel checkerplate will also get you mega riceboy horsepower. your car will fly!

- if it isnt coming, you need a bigger tool.

[Big Daddy]

Charlie,

I was wondering if the price to ship your car is going to end up being? I am looking into going next year and have found a shipping company that is around 2500$ one way just wondering how much it was running you all.

[Charlie]

Don't know yet. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I am guessing you are quoting a water-shipped price.

-Charlie Ping
Auburn University FSAE (http://eng.auburn.edu/organizations/SAE/AUFSAE)
5th Overall Detroit 2003
? Overall Aussie 2003. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif