F1 in Schools

F1 in Schools is an international competition for school children (aged 9–19), in which groups of 3 - 6 students have to design and manufacture a miniature "car" out of balsa wood using CAD/CAM design tools. The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and are attached to a track by a thin wire. They are timed from the moment they are launched to when they pass the finish line by a computer. The cars have to follow specific guidelines (e.g. the wheels of the car must be in contact the track at all times). The cars are raced on an 80-foot (24 m) long track with two lanes, to allow two cars to be raced simultaneously. Software called F1 Virtual Wind Tunnel was designed specifically for the challenge. F1 Virtual Wind Tunnel or F1 VWT uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate air resistance on the "cars" made in the CAD. Despite its name, the style of the competition makes it more similar to drag racing rather than Formula One

The competition is currently hosted in 26 countries. The competition was first introduced in the UK in 1999. The competition's aim was, and still is, to introduce younger people to engineering in a more fun environment. The competition is held annually, with regional and national finals. The winners of the national finals compete in an international final. There are two categories - D-type (or dragster type) and R-type. There also subcategories for age - D-type 11-14 and D-type 14-16 or R-type 14-16 and R-type 16-18. The main difference between the two is the R-type category allows the use of spoilers and parts added on to the main body whereas the D-type does not.

The current F1 in Schools World Champions (as of 21 September 2011) are the PentaGliders from Australia from Brooks High School (Launceston, Tasmania). Team Fuga, 2007 World Champions hold the world record time of 1.020 seconds. However, as the World Record can only be set at the International Finals, held annually, this record does not take into account individual country records.

Read more about F1 In Schools:  Student Portfolio, Advertising, Countries Currently Involved, Partners, Winners

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