R/C and engineering

[beaker]

I came across this article in one of the trade magazines (Design News) I get at work.
Research for the real world (http://www.manufacturing.net/dn/index.asp?layout=article&stt=000&articleid=CA294109&pubdate=5%2F5%2F2003)

http://www.manufacturing.net/articles/images/DN/20030505/bmoc_A.jpg

Just think, r/c cars might one day may full scale cars safer :)


On a somewhat related note, I always thought that Unlimited Engineering's claim to use advanced CAD and FEA software was just marketing hype. But after going to the web site of Cosmos (http://dn.cosmosm.com) I noticed that they use Unlimited Engineering as one of their success stories.

Unlimited Engineering success story (http://dn.cosmosm.com/success/consumer10.htm)

We also use SolidWorks and Cosmos at my work, so I now have a renewed respect for them. Most of the other r/c aftermarket companies, however, just make aluminum or titanium replications of the original part. That's not too impressive. I could do that where I work. Just put the part on a CMM (coordinate measuring machine), import the data into your CAD software and then export a CAM file. Then the CNC machine does the rest.

I wish more aftermarket manufacturers made performance-enhancing parts instead of just eye candy.

[InspGadgt]

I recently got a hold of Solid Works as well...great software...much easier to learn then my Autocad 2000. Now I just gotta come up with some time to sit down and design stuff :)

[Esteban]

sorry but all i see is a r/c car wit sum electric gadget on it can u tell me wat it is thats so important? thx

[beaker]

Did you read the link?

... when the rubber hits the road (http://www.manufacturing.net/dn/index.asp?layout=article&stt=000&articleid=CA294109&pubdate=5%2F5%2F2003)

He's trying to model the road/tire interaction of real cars by using 1/5 scale models. I just thought it was interesting - that's all.

I would have liked to take a college class were we got to "play" with 1/5 scale cars. I did, however, take a controls theory class where we tried to keep the velocity of a model train constant as the incline of the track was varied. It's nice when professors can make complex subjects fun.

[InspGadgt]

yeah...in high school we studied the laws of motion with hotwheels cars,skateboards, and a 3 person slingshot :)

[beaker]

My physics teacher in high-school would give you extra credit if you brought in hot wheels tracks. He would use them to make ramps and then we would calculate the distance the car should travel. Hot wheels cars flying off ramps do a good job of showing the parabolic nature of an object in flight.

I guess school was actually fun sometimes ;)