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Daves
10-24-2003, 02:19 AM
The perfect final drive ratio is eluding me. All of our data aquisition was crap last year, so I am not certain of the top speed reached in any event in Pontiac. I assume the highest FSAE speed is reached during the acceleration event. It is 246 feet long and took 4.225 seconds for Michigan State to complete. In the Road & Track competition, Michigan State reached 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Therefore, I'm guessing that 70 mph is the highest speed attained.

Is that correct?

http://www.letu.edu/formula

My Formula Photos & Links (http://what3542.5u.com/dave/fsae/formula_photos.html)
Sisyphus
10-24-2003, 11:47 AM
Not that it matters on the tight FSAE courses, but does anyone have any coast down data they would like to share on their car? It would be interesting to know how efficient these cars are and what the theoretical max speed might be.
Big Daddy
10-24-2003, 11:48 AM
In my opinion I would lay out a course that is how ever the longest straight is. I would have enough gears th have 5 or 6 ratios and start timing. Which ever is fastest is what I would run. Like I said my two cents.
Daves
10-24-2003, 09:29 PM
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>does anyone have any coast down data they would like to share on their car?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, but none of our cars "coast down." If the driver's foot is not hard on the gas, the cars start bucking like broncos unless, of course, the engine is off.

http://www.letu.edu/formula

My Formula Photos & Links (http://what3542.5u.com/dave/fsae/formula_photos.html)
UTA racer rikki
10-28-2003, 09:31 AM
Gerry,

We have done some coast down analysis on our aero cars (with and without wings). We were fortunate enough to gain access to a small municipal airport here and they provided ample testing area for us to get up to speed. The popular opinion here is that we think the cars could reach 130 mph if geared appropriately (and without aero). In the test, the data acquisition system showed speeds ~115 mph. I had some more room to take it further, but I was quickly running out of taxi way and didn't want to test the limits of the cars braking.

- Erick

FSAE ('99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '??)