This week, work continued on the new upper body. Car leader Peter Chaney has been leading group workshops teaching new members how to work with composites (with the help of the older members), and assembling the layers of the new body part. So far, the first two layers of carbon are done, the honeycomb core has been laid in place, sanded, and vacuum-bagged. All that remains is the last two layers of carbon fiber, and then the body team will pull out the lower body mold to make the section of body that attaches in the rear of the upper body.
Up in the office, the business team has been working hard to put together a proposal which we will submit to the school in regards to our participation in the 2009 World Solar Rally. Racing in a country on the other side of the globe is a major undertaking that will require a lot of support from on and off campus. Besides finding the funds necessary to ship the car and the team around the world, some sort of plan will need to be worked out so that being off-campus for a couple of weeks during the middle of the term will not affect their other course work in a negative way.
We are also hoping to utilze the fact that this Fall term will be finished a week and a half before Thanksgiving, and keep part of the team on campus during that time. Having opportunities to devote extended periods of time to the project without having a full course-load outside of solar car is extremely helpful, and we hope to use the time for a variety of projects, including sending some students to training seminars for our NX computer-design program, taking the car to visit local shops and businesses that helped us to build parts of it, and focusing some time on fund raising and sponsorships.
English
This week, work continued on the new upper body. Car leader Peter Chaney has been leading group workshops teaching new members how to work with composites (with the help of the older members), and assembling the layers of the new body part. So far, the first two layers of carbon are done, the honeycomb core has been laid in place, sanded, and vacuum-bagged. All that remains is the last two layers of carbon fiber, and then the body team will pull out the lower body mold to make the section of body that attaches in the rear of the upper body.
Up in the office, the business team has been working hard to put together a proposal which we will submit to the school in regards to our participation in the 2009 World Solar Rally. Racing in a country on the other side of the globe is a major undertaking that will require a lot of support from on and off campus. Besides finding the funds necessary to ship the car and the team around the world, some sort of plan will need to be worked out so that being off-campus for a couple of weeks during the middle of the term will not affect their other course work in a negative way.
We are also hoping to utilze the fact that this Fall term will be finished a week and a half before Thanksgiving, and keep part of the team on campus during that time. Having opportunities to devote extended periods of time to the project without having a full course-load outside of solar car is extremely helpful, and we hope to use the time for a variety of projects, including sending some students to training seminars for our NX computer-design program, taking the car to visit local shops and businesses that helped us to build parts of it, and focusing some time on fund raising and sponsorships.
Tom Brownell
Team Leader, Principia Solar Car