23rd ANNUAL BATTERY CAR RACE FEB. 27,2015 BY: Homer Johnson & Sammy Smith (Ingomar Middle School) (Picture of car here) Car Name: THE ROAD RUNNER

DESIGNS & Dimensions Frame ●Motor & Supports ●Battery Pack ●Axle Bearings ●Eyelets Body ●Hood ●Roof ●Triangular Supports { {

● BALSA WOOD o 1 piece -⅛” x 3” x 7”; o 1 piece - 1/16” x 3” x 6”; o 1 piece - 3/16” x 2” x 3”; o 1 pieces triangular ⅜” x ⅜” x 6”; o 1 piece ⅛” x ¼” x 4” ● HOT GLUE ● SUPER GLUE ● SOLDER ● ALLIGATOR CLIPS (2) ● ZIP KICKER CA ACCELERANT MATERIALS

● 2 GEARS -1 ¼ ” and 1”dia. ● 4 WHEELS - 1 ½” dia. ● 2 WHEELS - (any dia., only hub needed) ● X-ACTO KNIVES ● 2 RUBBER BANDS(for tires) - 1” dia. ● MOTOR ● BATTERY PACK (AA BATTERIES) ● 2 METAL AXLES - 5” and 3” ● 2 PLASTIC AXLE BEARINGS - 1” ● 2 EYELETS ● 2 SCREWS - #4 x ⅝” MATERIALS (cont.)

Frame Assembly 1)Measure and cut frame from ⅛” balsa per diagram 2)Measure and cut body from 1/16” balsa per diagram 3)Cut 4 pieces of triangular balsa, 1 ½” in length each 4)Cut 2 pieces of ⅛”x¼”, 1 ⅝” in length each 5)Measure and mark position for triangular motor supports, battery pack, axle bearings and eyelets 6)Solder alligator clips onto battery pack leads 7)Push 1 ¼” gear onto motor rotor 8)Use CA glue and accelerant to glue triangular supports for motor to frame 9)Use hot melt glue to attach motor onto frame and supports (3 sides) and to attach battery back to frame (continued on next page) ASSEMBLY

Frame Assembly (cont.) 10)Use CA glue and accelerant to attach axle bearings to frame (put 1” gear onto axle, insert axle through bearing, and verify position by meshing gear with motor gear while holding bearing against the frame) 11)Cut hubs off of extra pair of wheels, and cut each in half to provide 4 axle retainer rings Front axle assembly 12)Slide 1 wheel onto front axle, followed by 1” gear, and 1 retainer ring, then slide axle through axle bearing 13)Slide 1 retainer ring onto opposite side of axle followed by second wheel and then adjust spacing for alignment 14)Slide rubber bands over both front wheels for traction ASSEMBLY (cont.)

Rear axle assembly 15)Slide 1 of the wheels onto the rear axle, followed by 1 retainer ring, then slide axle through rear bearing 16)Slide 1 retainer ring on opposite side of axle followed by second wheel and adjust spacing for alignment Body and final assembly 17)Use CA glue and accelerant to attach triangular section to 3/16” balsa, attach to body panel (cut from 1//16” in step 2), and then attach the ⅛”x¼” supports 18)Use CA glue and accelerant to attach last triangular support to front of frame as shown in diagram 19)Carefully use screws to attach body assembly to the triangular support 20)Attach eyelets where shown 21)Connect alligator clips to motor and turn on motor to run ASSEMBLY (cont.)

One creative feature that helps the Road Runner function is the way we held the motor in place. Instead of just gluing it on the wood, we glued 2 triangular shaped pieces of balsa wood onto the frame. This gave us more surface area to attach the motor. This helps our car’s performance because our motor is less likely to move. When the motor is more stable, the gear will remain in contact with the gear on the axle, which turns the drive wheels. The reduced vibration improves the transfer of power to the drive wheels. CREATIVE FEATURE

Problem One difficult obstacle we faced was that we struggled to keep the axle from sliding around in the axle bearing causing steering and stability problems. We tried using drops of hot glue to keep it from sliding. At first the axle didn’t slide, but eventually the dots popped off because they were either rubbing on the frame or they could not withstand the pressure on them from the axle trying to slide. OBSTACLES Solution After a lot of experimenting, our final solution was to take two extra wheels and cut off the part that holds the axle. We then cut those in half so that we had 4 pieces. We then attached those to the axle and slid them into place. That stopped the axles from sliding.

PICTURES F ront view of car before body is attached Us holding the Finished Road Runner Side view of finale Road Runner Image of the completed Road Runner Top view of the The Road Runner with body Top view of the The Road Runner without the body Our starting supplies, not including the solder related supplies and extra wheels A Road Runner in its natural habitat