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| OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE UNSW FORMULA SAE TEAM |

ISSUE NO. 1 | 2013

2012 was a busy year for Redback Racing – at times chaotic, stressful and frustrating, but ultimately successful.

The year got off to a rocky start after having to move labs to make room for renovations in Willis Annexe. Fortunately, due to good coordination and drive, we were quickly squared away in our new digs and able to get down to the hard task of designing and building a race car.

We were recovering from an unsatisfying 2011 and lacklustre competition results due primarily to uncommonly strong competition from other universities. Nevertheless, the team was resolved to overcome the adversity of the past and

instead focus on building the best car we could.

“We were fortunate to have a cohesive, talented and dedicated team...”We were fortunate to have a cohesive, talented and dedicated team who had an eye for detail and were sticklers for perfection.  However, this attention to detail meant that the build of the car was relatively slow. This, combined with several unexpected manufacturing overruns, `meant the car was actually completed somewhat later in the year than had been intended.

What was ultimately taken to Melbourne to compete was possibly the finest vehicle UNSW students have ever designed, and this was reflected in its performance. As a design piece it was remarkable. Through utilisation of advanced manufacturing techniques and unorthodox materials - for instance, we were only one of two teams at competition to use an aluminium honeycomb monocoque chassis - we were able to dominate the static events, taking 4th place in the design event and 1st for vehicle cost.

Dynamically the vehicle was just as brilliant. The car was as fast as, or faster than, vehicles with months more testing time, posting

Concentrating 110%, 2012 Redback Racing Team Leader, Tim Collins, in the RB12 fighting for the best time during the Endurance Event.

GoingPlaces

Fast Ben Willis

Head of Powertrain

RedlineUNSW REDBACK RACING

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competitive times in minor events such as skidpad and acceleration. 

“...as fast, or faster than, vehicles with months more testing time...”The vehicle shone in the Endurance event, the ultimate test of both car and driver. The car was able to post track times (level pegging it) tantamount to teams with far greater funding, support, resources testing and driver training. In fact, our lead driver was of the opinion that the car could have gone even faster than his best posted times to date, except he had been operating under strict instructions to get the car home in one piece rather than push the envelope.

Buoyed by our excellent showing in the static events, our outstanding results in the dynamic events led UNSW’s Redback Racing to place 6th in the Australasia competition, an outstanding result that we feel can only be improved upon next year with the dedication and talent of the current team.

The Redback Racing Team at the end of the 2012 Australasian Formula SAE competition, Melbourne.

Summary of Results:

The team calibrating using Motec software before track testing.

DESIGNFINALIST

1STCOSTING

EVENT

6THOVERALL

102ND IN THE WORLD

UP 159 PLACES

2012 AUSTRALASIAN COMPETITION

WORLD RANKING AS OF28/03/2013

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O-Week@UNSW

Did You Know?

Geoffery HungSponsorshipCo-ordinator

Peter Tilden &Terence Chong

Heads of Suspension

RB12 saw a host of performance oriented design that focused on improved vehicle dynamics.

The suspension geometry was significantly redeveloped over previous iterations. The wheelbase and track were shortened to allow improved navigation through tight bends.

The team utilised unequal length A-arms in the front and rear, found in Formula One cars. Such a setup enables optimum configuration of the vehicle's geometry.

The RB12 is a unique proposition. The rear driveshaft is fixed, having no differential. That is, both rear wheels rotate at the same speed. This design

was conceptualised to reduce vehicle weight in the rear, and reduce rotating mass for improved driving response.

Not having a differential can cause understeering as the inside rear wheel forces the car to run wide in cornering. To compensate, the suspension has been designed to lift the inner rear wheel in cornering.

Designing for appropriate load transfer across the car is the mechanism for achieving this dynamic handling characteristic called jacking.

Such design relies on a stiff chassis, which the honeycomb sandwich monocoque boasts an excellent torsional stiffness of 1550Nm/deg, five times stiffer than a production vehicle.

SolidWorks render showing the suspension. CAD by UNSW Redback Racing 63.

Redback Racing kicked off the semester at UNSW by introducing our team to the freshmen of 2013.

Activities included production and filming of our promotional videos, static display of the RB12 car, information stalls, Redback Stig visits and photos with our RB12 car.

The team worked hard

all week promoting and recruiting. At the end, more than 200 students signed up. Needless to say the Stig visit was a favourite amongst students. We were able to reach across a variety of disciplines, from the College of Fine Arts, School of Business all the way to the School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering.

On the following Monday, an information night for new members was held to officially introduce the team as well as for members to sign-up for different departments.

O-Week was a success and the team had a great time meeting new members and promoting motorsport across the university.

Monica ChiPublic Relations

and Events Co-ordinator

Rear Vehicle ‘A’ Control Arms

Front Lower Control ArmWith Asymmetric Length Arms

Penske Shock Absorbers

Avon 13” Rim Wheels

Steering

Interested student goes for a ‘test drive’. Redback Stig learns new moves.

Redback Stig getting directions at O-Week.

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TM

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LookingForward

On behalf of the entire Redback Racing team I would like to give a huge thanks to all our sponsors who have made the RB12 possible.

As soon as the team got back to Sydney from Melbourne, design work on the RB13 started.

Thanks to Picton Karting Track, we were able to use the summer holidays to work on driver training, testing and data acquisition.

We have also had an astounding number of new

members eager to be part of the team. This is very exciting as we are always on the lookout for new ideas and innovation for our designs.

I am confident in our new team structure with co-department heads, optimising our design and working together.

Through the contribution of our sponsors, time donated by team members and the experiences we have had in previous competitions, I feel our RB13 vechicle will be triumphant.

A message fromLachlan Colley2013 Team Leader

PICTONKARTINGTRACK

DRIVE IT, LOVE IT, LIVE IT

@UNSWRedback63

facebook.com/UNSWRedbackRacing

www.redbackracing.unsw.edu.au

ContactGeoffery Hung

Sponsorship Co-ordinatorg.hung@redbackracing63.com

Editor:Kaitlyn Lounsbury

Business and Media Unitlounsk@rpi.edu

Photography & Design:James Sun

Social Media Co-ordinatorj.sun@redbackracing63.com

© UNSW Redback Racing 63 2013