On your mark, get set, go!
Students enrolled in the Design and Drawing for Production (DDP) class at Tappan Zee High School have spent the last few weeks designing their own aerodynamic vehicles. “The students used their own creativity to design an aerodynamic vehicle that would have a high acceleration and achieve the greatest distance possible,” explained TZHS Technology/Engineering Team Leader Nick DeSantis, who teaches the class. “The vehicles were made out of wood, machined and painted in the technology lab. This project was part of the 3D design unit.”
After students finished building and designing their cars, they prepared for the race. DeSantis created a launcher for the cars and attached them to a fishing line. He attached CO2 cartridges to the back of each car so when the car was launched, the trigger would puncture the cartridge to help the car propel forward on the fishing line and roll down the hallway. As students were taking turns launching their cars, they would record the time it took to get down the hallway to see which car was the fastest.