Mousetrap Vehicle C

[mrsteven]

I've done this event for quite a few years, and the best way I've found to create traction is to coat the wheels with a silicon adhesive or caulking silicate like liquid nails. You'll need to first cover the wheels with some type of thin paper and then apply the silicon. Rubberbands and balloons work in a pinch, but dont provide nearly the purchase that you get from silicon, they also degrade easily and are hard to apply and replace without having to realign the wheels/axils.

^^ very good idea, on one of my cars I used electrical tape (liquid stuff, im not sure if theres a solid kind so im specifying) and that worked fairly well except it was a bumpy ride.

[Teal]

Got 5th at state! We got right on the line, but put the reference point too far up, and our first run was better.
Oh well. Still happy, but still.

[Danny Smith]

Got 5th at state! We got right on the line, but put the reference point too far up, and our first run was better.
Oh well. Still happy, but still.

About how far away was the fixed point from the center of the back line? and do you know about how long your run took? Im just trying to get an idea of how my car compares. Thanks.

[Teal]

Our run took 16 seconds, so it was slow. :/
But it was about a foot away from the center.
1st place was spot on and took about 9 seconds.

[mrsteven]

sooo my mousetrap vehicle broke and I didn't bring a saughtering gun to fix it sooo fail. We had to use the bad one that was really innacurite for state. got 30th lol faiiil to the max

[Teal]

Yikes - and it looks like you could have done very well, too. At least you brought a backup one.

[mrsteven]

yea true true, not that it really made any difference

[bwy]

Our run took 16 seconds, so it was slow. :/
But it was about a foot away from the center.
1st place was spot on and took about 9 seconds.

Wow that's a huge gap between 1st and 5th.
My car totally failed at state-- 9 seconds, 30 (?!??!?!?!!!) cm off for 11th place. I beat Troy at regionals (I got 2nd). Their car wasn't much better for state, and they placed 3rd.
I think it was something to do with having to drive to the competition. The car was probably jostled around even though I was holding it most of the time.
Is there any way you guys are making sure the car does exactly what it's been doing at competitions and at practices? I've had this problem for these last 2 years with this event. The car is amazingly consistent the day of state when I test it like 5 times at home the morning of the competition, and then inexplicably fails at the competition.
People keep saying it's the floor but it can't be that big of a difference and even if the floor is messed up it should affect everyone, not just me. (A funny side note: Troy's team actually wiped all 10 meters of the track vigorously before both runs with rags, I guess to make sure the floor was nice and clean for their car. )

[ChrisYim]

hey guys, i just failed at life.....
i would've gotten a score of -20.11, my brake design turned out to be a construction violation......so i got put in tier 3
(but luckily, i was able to rip off my brake on the second run, so i got a score of 20......)

[illusionist]

what was the braking system? I'm just curious as to how it could have been a violation...