Friday, March 19, 2010
Fire Station Tour!
Our next meeting is Tuesday night at 6:30.
We will meet at the church, then go to the Fire Station. It might be a bit of a late night!
See you there.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Race Day!
Welcome to the 2010 Pinewood Derby!
Thousands of boys all across the country, starting with a mere block of pine, have fashioned aerodynamic, supersonic, race-frantic, mega-fantastic speedsters!
After several weeks of preparation and fine tuning, our troop's big day has come and anticipation is in the air!
Today's racers are staged in their lanes and ready for action! They've all passed tech inspection for dimensions and weight requirements.
Each entrant's name and assigned lane has been put into the computer program. Cars will race in heats of four, using a different lane each time. The electronic eyes at the start and finish will record cars' times to the thousandth of a second. Times will be averaged and the fastest average will be the winner!
The track is set, the cars and crews are ready... Let's go!
Aligning the car correctly at the start is the key to success. Here, Ian sets up for a fast run.
Race Director, Scott, oversees the start positions. Troop Leader, John, looks on.
The boys wait hopefully at the finish.
There were no malfunctions or crashes during the race. Everyone's car ran well.
The results are in..... Ian took second place!
Ian and Pit Crew Chief are proud of their accomplishment. It's been a team effort all the way!
The top three finishers in the troop have qualified for the District Race, to be held in the near future. A top three finish in that race will mean going on to the U.S Regionals, then to the U.S. National Competition. Who knows what is in store for the number 18 car?
Right now, though, it's time to savor the victory and celebrate the day! Well done, Ian and all our troop brothers!
Many thanks to Scott, John, and supporters who made the race possible. We appreciate all you do!
Thousands of boys all across the country, starting with a mere block of pine, have fashioned aerodynamic, supersonic, race-frantic, mega-fantastic speedsters!
After several weeks of preparation and fine tuning, our troop's big day has come and anticipation is in the air!
Today's racers are staged in their lanes and ready for action! They've all passed tech inspection for dimensions and weight requirements.
Each entrant's name and assigned lane has been put into the computer program. Cars will race in heats of four, using a different lane each time. The electronic eyes at the start and finish will record cars' times to the thousandth of a second. Times will be averaged and the fastest average will be the winner!
The track is set, the cars and crews are ready... Let's go!
Aligning the car correctly at the start is the key to success. Here, Ian sets up for a fast run.
Race Director, Scott, oversees the start positions. Troop Leader, John, looks on.
The boys wait hopefully at the finish.
There were no malfunctions or crashes during the race. Everyone's car ran well.
The results are in..... Ian took second place!
Ian and Pit Crew Chief are proud of their accomplishment. It's been a team effort all the way!
The top three finishers in the troop have qualified for the District Race, to be held in the near future. A top three finish in that race will mean going on to the U.S Regionals, then to the U.S. National Competition. Who knows what is in store for the number 18 car?
Right now, though, it's time to savor the victory and celebrate the day! Well done, Ian and all our troop brothers!
Many thanks to Scott, John, and supporters who made the race possible. We appreciate all you do!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Practice!
The boys got a chance to test their cars at our Pack Meeting. We set them up on the track and fine tuned our starts (critical to minimizing drag on the track channel).
As the pictures show, it was a lot of fun!
Can't wait for race day!
Our derby is Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Community Center.
See you there!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Derby Car Workshop
Today Scott helped the boys get a great start on their cars at his home workshop. The shapes were cut out, sanded, and even painted. He showed us ways to improve wheels and axles and to add weight as needed to reach our 5 oz. target.
We also got a chance to see finished racers in action on the track. The tips he gave us for setting up for the heats will help us on race day.
Thanks, Scott! You're very generous!
Ian using a rasp to shape his car.
The boys and their dads working together.
Finished Derby cars from years past.
Here's a link for steps to building a winning car. It's pretty involved but, if you're interested, have at it.
Good luck to all!
Next event: Tuesday night at 6:30 at the church is our next den meeting. I think we should split our time between test racing the Derby cars downstairs and doing the den activity for achievement 1. This is called "1D" in the Cub Scout Handbook. Check out p. 40-41 for what to bring. See you there!
We also got a chance to see finished racers in action on the track. The tips he gave us for setting up for the heats will help us on race day.
Thanks, Scott! You're very generous!
Ian using a rasp to shape his car.
The boys and their dads working together.
Finished Derby cars from years past.Here's a link for steps to building a winning car. It's pretty involved but, if you're interested, have at it.
Good luck to all!
Next event: Tuesday night at 6:30 at the church is our next den meeting. I think we should split our time between test racing the Derby cars downstairs and doing the den activity for achievement 1. This is called "1D" in the Cub Scout Handbook. Check out p. 40-41 for what to bring. See you there!
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