Formula for speed: Cadets to race in international competition

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Brandon Baccam
  • Air Force Academy Public Affairs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) --  A team of senior-year engineering mechanics department cadets here built a Formula race car from scratch, scheduled to be showcased and raced May 8-11 at the Society of Automotive Engineers international competition in Brooklyn, Mich.

"The cadets undertake a huge learning curve where they must increase their knowledge of vehicle dynamics," said Capt. Adam Parks, engineering mechanics instructor and the team's advisor. "This competition takes every ounce of engineering savvy the cadets have to muster."

The Formula SAE is a student-design competition evaluating their abilities to create Indy stock-car-style vehicles and pit them against others from universities worldwide.

"My motivation for joining the team was just how cool the project was," said Cadet 1st Class Kinder McCullough. "It looked like the most exciting capstone in the mechanical engineering department."

The competition promotes critical thinking and problem solving for student engineers, according to the SAE website. All aspects of the automotive industry, including research and design, manufacturing, testing, marketing, management and finances, are put to the test as student design teams from all over the world compete against one another.

Developing the best product possible within series limitations and rules was a particularly unique trial for the cadets, McCullough said.

"For our team, the biggest challenge was just getting everything done within a nine-month period," she said.

"We're an underdog because we are unsponsored and we are always a first-year team," said Cadet 1st Class Jeffrey DesRoches.

The formula car project is only offered to senior-year cadets, which puts them at a disadvantage against other schools that have perennial participants of up to four years, McCullough said.

There are two competitions held in the U.S.: one in California and the other in Michigan, where it has been the largest and longest-running event.

The Academy has participated in other SAE events like the mini-Baja and SAE Heavy Lift since about 1995, Parks said. Since 1999, the Academy has participated in the Formula SAE as a way for cadets to get a hands-on learning experience with the automotive industry in the racing world.

"Last year was an outstanding year for (Academy) racing as it placed 38th out of 130 teams at the Formula SAE competition," Parks said. "This was the highest placing ever by the Air Force Academy."

According to the SAE organization official website, the competition gives the cadets a scenario, where a fictional manufacturing company has contracted the design team to create a formula race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item: the target marketing group is the nonprofessional weekend autocross racer.

"The cadets will go through the entire engineering design process from understanding the customer needs, design, analysis, manufacturing and testing," Parks said.

"We put a lot of effort into this year's workload, but we're excited," DesRoches said.

The competition car show and time trials will be held at the Michigan International Speedway. The Air Force Academy will compete against 119 other registered teams from around the world, including teams from Canada, Singapore and Germany.