NASTE Gravity Racer Program (Page 4 of 13)

Today we took the Hawksbill Flyer and Chris Kouba's new car to our secret test area. The goal was to establish some baseline data using a GPS device during the test runs. We located an ideal spot and marked off a starting point for consistancy, and for future use in comparison tests.

This was my first high speed run in the Flyer, and I'll tell you it scared the crap out of me! Chris' first run in his new car was pretty uneventful as it handled and ran like a dream! After my first run we tightened up the steering adjustments on the Flyer which made the next two runs much less dramatic! After three runs Chris had posted a top speed of approximately 38 MPH. The Flyer set her fastest speed to date at just over 43 MPH! On my third run I totally used up the brake in stopping the car at the end of the run, so the Flyer was done for the day. Chris' car however had performed so well he decided to go ahead and run it all the way to the bottom of the mountain. Chris took off on a 2.5 mile test run raising his posted top speed to 43 MPH! These test runs are so valuable in getting a feel for the car and with the GPS giving us some actual data for comparison tests. It was an AWESOME day!

A big thanks to Beau Frazier and Dennis Hart for coming out and assisting in this endeavor. We could not have acco,plished all we did without you guys!

==========Bill

After three runs the brake on the Hawksbill Flyer was wasted and it's day was done! Getting her stopped at the end of the run was not an easy task, she just wanted to keep going!

More pics from testing on Thurs.  The first is from 2:30AM, having just completed enough of my entry to actually sit and roll down the road in it.  Yes, I am supposed to wake up in 4 more hours to head to Bill's:

Upon arrival at Casa Bostic a couple of hours later, snugly in the back of the Kouba-mobile:

Bill, Beau, and Dennis loading the Flyer:

Strapping it in:

After one of the runs:

Back home in one piece, surrounded in the mess of an all-nighter thrash:

(the mess is still there, BTW)

The car ran fantastically with no evil traits.  I just held it down the middle for the first of my runs, waiting til the end to wiggle it back and forth.  It was very responsive to my input while tracking straight and true to where it was pointed.  With the solid tires, the ride was, uh... shall we say, rough?  I had to hold my head off the headrest to be able to see anything beyond general shapes and colors- but once I did, everything was a blur going by!

We only really had one side-by-side start, for which Bill jumped the start.  The Flyer has got great acceleration!  It just shot out ahead of me.  Eventually I was able to hold the gap, but by that time we were so far down our run, there was little I could do to close it.  I did try drafting him, but he scooted too far ahead for me to pull any advantage from it.

As Bill said, a HUGE thanks goes out to Beau and Dennis for showing up and enabling us to partake in this madness.  I also owe a thanks to Bill who is organizing this whole mess and basically crew chiefing on my car as well as running his own.  Thanks to ALL for making my madness happen!

If you're looking for more pics of the cars in action, you should come out with us next time.  Four is the bare minimum to effectively do this- a driver for each flyer and a driver for each shuttle vehicle.  We'd like to incorporate timing into the next rounds of trials, but that takes more people as well.  Anyone interested would be appreciated!

Chris

Always leave early. 

Are to going to make the body lines angular, or are to going to build some wooden bucks to hammer out some sexy curves?

The plan is for a hand-formed alu body riveted to steel supports beneath.  But talk is cheap and I have very little idea of what I am doing with that.  Fiberglass and foam would be much easier, but I want to learn alu and the resin stuff is stinky and messy.

Chris

I didn't realize it was a two seater!!!

Scuderia Kouba is officially a two car team!

Bill came over for an excellent half day in the shop, where we proceeded to wreak havoc with steel tube and weld wire.  By the end of the evening, there were two fully functional (but far from finished) gravity racers heavy on their wheels.  Out in front of Casa Koubano there is a small hill, and despite it being dark already, the night was not to be considered complete until laps were run.

Bill in his new pride and joy:

Both cars after the test runs:

Bill doing a fly-by:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO … N1N2xpQmJR

On-board footage:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM … lteXllSUdB

Apologies for the crappy picture quality but it was all that my cell phone can do. 

The cars are remarkably smooth now that they are riding on pneumatic tires.  They simply swooshed along over the road.  The difference in ride quality was unbelievable and made the exercise well worth the effort.  I am very excited to try them out on the open road.

Once Bill's chassis gets a little more complete and I redesign my steering column (I re-designed my front axle, now need to finalize the steering column), we will be ready for more testing runs.  I am keeping an eye out on weather further east in the Gorge for a good testing day in the near future.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, see you all tomorrow night for Odd Thurs!

Chris

Ya'll are gonna need some driving lights if you keep testing in the dark!

Gravity Racer Facebook page in the works here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2398318 … nref=story

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DownhillGravityRacing/

Believe me, body work will be nothing more than an attempt to create more SPEED!