2015 FSAE Rules

[Westly]

Some nice posts here (good one Wes). I’m typing one-fingered today, so my inputs will be short.
- It is not up to the organizers to address reliability
- The teams choose their own destiny
- Think ambitions vs capability….
- Why do rule changes need reasons??
- Agreed more lead time would be nice, for the sake of international entries
- On the other hand, a robust design concept and delivery strategy should be competitive irrespective of a few specification changes
- I’d personally like to see more discussion here quantifying the execution side of things. Most teams are uncompetitive by a margin far greater than their concept’s potential
- I’d still love to see a well-managed team enter a “brown fruit box”. A concept car driven by underspecification and average materials. Underpowered aircooled single with a carb. Wooden chassis? Golf car F&R suspension. Average specs but built to sound engineering principles and delivered well. For comparative purposes of courses. At the end of the weekend, any team that finishes behind the fruit box runs a lap of the endurance track with their pants around their ankles…

Hi Geoff,

I dont believe that it is the organisers responsibility to address reliability, nor should rules be changed to address this, but they can encourage it through design feedback. The australian comp was quite harshly critised by overseas judges in 2012 with all the cars too heavy and out of touch with the leaders in europe amongst\other issues. And this seems to be a common theme from what I have seen, that officials much more greatly encourage optimisation, vehicle lightness and other additional features, rather than simplicity and reliability. If questions were raised by judges/officials, not nessecarily in scored events, not on how much weight they managed to reduce their components by, but what features/systems they have implimented to improve reliabiltiy this would encourage this trend.

Interesting to note: The top 5 in Design at 2014 FSG didnt finish endurance, 1 of the Top 5 in Design at Michigan finished enduro (GFR, 4th) and ETS has won design twice this year (Michigan and North), but failed to compete either competitions endurance.

I know this only addresses a portion of what you are trying to convey, but I need to get back to work!