Body Work

In the past Serlby Park has used plastic and sheet aluminium to construct the body work. We have found the rigours of the race cause large amounts of damage to the bodywork. The plastic bodies we found struggle to cope and are difficult to finish to our exacting standard. A body beaten from a thin sheet of aluminium can be finished to a far higher standard, especially around the wheel arches where the plastic bodies tend to show rough edges. The aluminium body does provide good strength but unfortunately does result in added weight and limits the complexity of the shape available. We have also found it bends and loses rigidity during racing.

The team has decided to make an aluminium body and a composite body. A cardboard model of the body has been produced to finalise the design and ensure there is no interference with the cars moving part. Epoxy resin is then painted onto the cardboard to make the composite. To add extra strength Kevlar® and glass fibre is added to key points. The cardboard body is easy to make so we plan to make a number of identical bodies and replace them as they become damaged in racing. The pit crew now have another job!

This is our wind tunnel in which we developed our new body shape.

Click on the link below to use our plan to build your own body. This was carried into both year 8 and year 9 lessons. The pupils found it interesting to add paint schemes and modifications to the basic design, there were so many great ideas we couldn't possibly use them all. This work was introduced into the curriculum through forces, aerodynamics, and speed topics within Key Stage 3.

Why not try making your own body using the plan below.

The body plan

The strength, rigidity, impact resistance, and weight of the bodies will all be taken into account. Laboratory testing has shown the potential strength in the composite and can be seen in the picture below. We decided to concede defeat after 12kg.

  

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