After a couple well deserved weeks of rest, and a new set of officers leading the team, we got right back to business. First off, I wanted to confirm that MIT will be attending the American Solar Challenge this summer!! We are really excited to get back to raycing, especially with Chopper del Sol. Even with our solid finish at WSC, we think we can do better. This is especially exciting, since its the first time in several years that SEVT is back on a yearly race schedule (WSC and ASC on alternate years) as opposed to our typical two-year race cycle. Also, we haven't been to ASC for several years (since 2005), so it'll be good to be racing on our home turf against our fellow universities.
The team is really excited, and with a fantastic new group of freshmen (no seriously, these guys are awesome) joining our ranks, we're optimistic about our chances at ASC.
Since the end of WSC, we've been working hard to modify our vehicle for ASC. Although most of Chopper can remain unchanged, a few things do need to be addressed. Over IAP (Independent Activities Period - a month off in January to do anything, we choose to do solar car) we have been working nonstop. Our major achievement was doing a full layup of the lower body, which needed to be redone after our mediocre job last summer following our accident. It also gave us the opportunity to improve our manufacturing techniques and make an even higher quality composite structure. We are currently working on the body finish, prepping it for painting. We're also redoing our fairings, making them wider so we can use wide Michelin tires, should we choose to run on them at the race.
Below are some pics of the layup. Enjoy!
