Intuition played a significant role in the design of this rocket propelled car I created for the 2008 Eastern Iowa Community College District Engineering Workshop. My model received second place in both the "Best Design" and "Fastest Car" categories. At the time the model was designed, I had no education in fluid dynamics, yet I spent hours adjusting the contours of the body until my intuition was satisfied with the shape.
The goal behind the competition was to design the fastest rocket propelled car. Some materials were similar for all competitors. We all had to use the same wheels, rocket engines, body material (wood from the same stock), etc. The race track was straight, so I decided to make the body long and slender. The competition dictated a minimum body length and width, so I used that length for the body and added stabilizing fins on the sides to meet the minimum width criteria.
The competition also dictated a minimum body height, so I added another stabilizing fin on top of the car to meet this criteria. I threaded my axles and used thread lock and nuts to secure my wheels.
As you can see from the front, the body profile is small. Eyelets were placed on the underside to accept the race track's guide cable.
And finally, the backside has a hole to receive the rocket engine and an "L" hook screw to secure it. Although some logic and reason was involved in the design of this model, intuition played a commanding role.
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Intuition