If you joined us at our #THEORANGEEFFECT EOMM earlier in the year, you might remember hearing the distinct sound of revving motorbikes. But motorbikes they were not. Instead, they were deceptively small single-seater open wheeler creations known as Formula SAE. Don’t know what Formula SAE is? Here’s a short introduction to the international competition from UNSW Redback Racing team:
At the end of each year, the Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia (SAE-A) holds the Formula SAE-A competition (FSAE-A). University student teams from around the Australasian region design, build and race a small formula style car, competing in a number of static and dynamic events which simulate competition for a design contract from a fictional small company. 22 universities competed at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne last December, including 6 teams from New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Poland.
Redback Racing, from the University of New South Wales, has recently become affiliated with Cars for Hope. With a team numbering in the thirties, Redback Racing was one of the largest teams in the FSAE-A competition. Last year’s car, the RB14, was the first iteration of a three year design cycle. The team opted to move from a monocoque/spaceframe chassis to a full aluminium honeycomb monocoque, as well as a redesign of the suspension system to accommodate smaller 10” wheels. This shift was in line with the team’s design philosophy: a high performance light and agile vehicle that is reliable, driveable and easily manufactured.
RB14 was an ambitious design – it was the lightest car at the competition, weighing in at 152kg. The team almost managed to come second in the Cost Event, following closely in a tradition of strong performance in this category but losing out to Tokyo Denki University. However, drivetrain issues prevented the team from running the car in dynamics events. It was a sad end to the competition, but a lot was learned from last year’s car. With thorough documentation and deep reflection, the team is looking to make a strong comeback this year.
“Despite the many difficulties and challenges experienced throughout the year, we were able to achieve great things as a team, such as solid knowledge transfer from the previous generation. Next year we will be returning to FSAE-A 2015 with an evolutionary design and a greater desire to win, focusing strongly on reliability in producing an open wheeled vehicle.” – Andy Lam, Redback Racing Team Leader 2015
UNSW Redback Racing’s RB14:
Power Train: Internal combustion; 98 RON
Frame Construction: Aluminium honeycomb monocoque
Dimensions L/W/H: 2539mm / 1352mm / 1171mm
Wheelbase/Front Track/Rear Track: 1600mm / 1123mm / 1105mm
Weight: 155kg
Engine: Aprilia SXV550
Bore/Stroke/Cylinders/Displacement: 80mm / 55mm / 2 / 553cc
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
Maximum Design Power: 48kW @ 9,500RPM
Maximum Design Torque: 58Nm @ 6,500RPM
