How about having the teams build cars that use only springs for power,(no engines) and race them.

-- shawn a.holley (sholley@webtv.net), January 15, 2001

Answers

Wind-up cars? Yep that would be interesting to see.. I think it would be a bit difficult to find a wind-up spring big enough to power a car for a long distance though (plus the usual power curve over time and attaining max tension problems)..

-- Thomass (trh1@cris.com), January 15, 2001.

I've seen mousetrap powered model cars for physics contests, This could use the same type principle. Stored energy of some sort, maybe a heavy weight at the top of a pole with a cable wrapped around a pulley or catapult type spring. There are a lot of ways to make it go. Probably wouldn't be fast, but an interesting build.

-- b dudley (bdudley@industrialmechanical.com), January 15, 2001.

I always thought it would be fun to use Bungie cord power. The type they use for bungie jumping. Then all the pilots pedal to built up the stretch while it is being let out by a clutch.

-- John Gap (mindthegap64@hotmail.com), January 15, 2001.

There are many ways to build the mechanism for a spring powered vehicle. Multiple large springs in a row connected from a fixed position at one end, and a moveable steel bar attacheted by a cable to a geared drive (hand winch from a boat trailer for example), which turns a sprocket and chain to the back wheels. Wind the winch to tighten the springs, lock in to place, and then release to propel the vehicle as the springs gradually return to their compressed length.

-- shawn a. holley (sholley@wetv.net), January 15, 2001.

there would be some serious safety issues with springs big enough to move a car with a person on it, when wound up tight to store enough energy to move the car any distance, they would have enough energy to destroy anything that happened to be in the way if the spring broke or if one of the connecting cables broke, it would act like a giant string trimmer capable af cutting steel

-- R. Eric Kahn (kubla@fuse.net), January 15, 2001.