During the warm month of April, snow is soon starting to melt, days are getting brighter and warmer, and the FSO is starting to build up. The team is eager to get the car done in schedule, so that we could start our testing in the edge of the Spring in early May. So far we have managed to paint our frame, mount the engine with the ECU and started with some electrics. But how we got to this point?
A couple of weeks ago, the team focused on finishing the frame before it was painted. One crucial thing that you need to know about race-car engineering is that you need to get rid of all the excess weight. And we mean all.
Finishing the frame was a process that required extreme precision from the team. Every single gram of steel that could be removed from the frame would give a considerable advantage in the track through weight reduction. Lots of steel-parts from the frame were whetted, even drilled with holes and removed in order to make the frame as light as possible. In this way, the car would show a better performance in the track and suit the aerodynamics in a better way.
Unlike in Formula 1, there are no weight restrictions in the FSAE-rules. That gives us the opportunity to be creative when it comes to weight reduction.
During the weekend the team finished the frame and the frame of FSO17 got its neat purple color, sponsored by our sponsor Oulun automaalit oy. With a color like this, the car will most definitely be noticed in our competitions!
After the frame was finished and painted, the engine and the ECU were mounted. Also some crucial measurements were made for the assembly of the clutch and suspension. The absence of tires is a challenge in measuring the suspension, but the tires are coming to our shop soon.
The brake system is developing right on schedule. Cylinders and paddles are already arrived to the shop and the brake-system is designed at this very moment. Some aerodynamics are also mounted and tested to the frame.
The next big step are the electrics. All the electrics must be mounted to the car as soon as possible so that the engine and all other parts would work in total harmony in our FSO17 race-car. In about month we are scheduled to start testing and the team is working in overtime to meet that deadline.
Also the steel plates for our car are already watercut in the University of Oulu and waiting to be machined. More coming soon…
We also like to thank our great sponsor SKF for the bearings for the FSO17 car. SKF now sponsord both Scuderia Ferrari F1-team and Formula Student Oulu. Also we’d like to thank one of our newest sponsors, high-quality wholesaler and a well-known importer in automotive components, Kaha Oy Ab, who has gladly joined the network of our valued sponsors with the company’s resources!
