We have just received an update on our F1 in Schools National finalists, Mach 1, based at Lutterworth College in Leicester. F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged 9 to 19 use design & engineering skills & software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars. As they have qualified for the World Championships in Singapore later this year there is much excitement at Mach1...
Elliot tells us more:
"As I’m sure you are very much aware, Mach1 are going to the World Championships in Singapore in September to compete in the F1 in Schools World Championships against the best young engineers in the world, after finishing 2nd place in the National Final and winning the award for the best engineered car thanks to the fantastic input we received from sponsors such as yourselves.
Recently, we have been holding meetings with our school teachers to prepare financially for the finals as we have to pay for flights, accommodation and entry fees for the competition which cover trips around Singapore whilst we are there".
The rules of the competition mean that Mach1 (like all other competitors) now have to join forces with winning teams from other nations... "We have had two Skype call meetings with our Malaysian team mates. They were team Annihilation from the Army Apprentice school in Port Jackson, Malaysia but now we have combined to make TEAM Fusion, TEAM being an anagram of The England And Malaysia Fusion.
We have discussed team jobs as well. It’s a maximum of six members per team so Alex is still going to be coming to Singapore but just not in the official team, he will still wear team uniform etc. The Malaysian team are also doing this with one of their team mates. Jonny is the new team manage, Ricky is the new Business Manager and I am the new design manager. They have the Manufacturing manager, resources manager and the other job that they have slips my mind at this time! Me and their manufacturing manager will work closely during design and manufacture because that way I will always be working productively during every production process of the car. So he will help with the design, we will manufacture some parts on our 3D printer and ship them to Malaysia and so on.
Fundraising is going reasonably well. We had a non school uniform day and raised £1200 at that and we have raised about £1500 so far which is quite good considering we are currently undertaking our GCSEs but it is still well short of our target. The team predict the target to be at £7000 and that includes £2000 of car development and manufacture money but we aren’t manufacturing the majority of the car so we aim to have the money to do something very impressive with the parts of the car we will manufacture like carbon fibre parts and things along them lines. However our teachers are predicting £13000 which we disagree with but we will try and raise as much money as possible in hope of being able to afford the Singapore trip. Team Exceleration’s school have disallowed the team from travelling to Singapore due to cost so we don’t want this to happen to us. We have quiz nights at schools and other fundraising activities at companies planned and if we meet our targets for each event we will have enough money to travel.
With regards to bearings we will have to discuss with our Malaysian team mates who will supply the bearings and I would love for you to be our main suppliers again, so I will try and get that at the next meeting on the 19th of June . "
Good luck in your forthcoming exams to all at Mach1, sorry, TEAM Fusion! We'll have everything crossed for you. We look forward to helping in whatever way we can to your future success in Singapore this autumn.
Our best wishes go out to all TEAM Fusion members, can't wait for your next update!
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