Nsu Speed Jets
Event Location: Cocoa-FL
Competition: Junior Solar Sprint
Division: 4-6 (JSS Green)
School: NSU University School
Team Name: The Speed Jets
Project Name: Solar Car Nate and Robert
Team Size: 2
Team Information
Our car….THE RED EYE!!! Coming to cocoa!
| Car Name: Red Eye |
| Team Name: Nsu Speed Jets |
| School Name: NSU University School |
| Team Members Names: Nate M, Robert E |
Design Documentation
Top View without Solar Panel
Side View #1
Side View #2
Back View
Front View
Special Feature of our car… THE SPOILER!!!
Project Log
| Tasks / Work Done | Obstacles Encountered | Modifications to Car |
| We made some design ideas. | None | Planned it out |
| We started to gather materials | None | None |
| We cut the chassis out | None | Base Completed |
| We added the motor on | Me and my partner argued over solar panel and motor. | Motor is on |
| We added the battery pack. | None | Battery Pack is on |
| We added the switch. | Had to wire everything up. | Everything Wired up |
| We tested the car | Turning | None |
| We fixed the car turning | None | Fixed it turning |
| We attached the Guide Wire | Had trouble getting it to stay on | Added Guide Wire |
| We tested the car | None | None |
| We accidentally ran the car off the edge of a table | The car completely broke down | We fixed the car |
| We finished off fixing the car | Still had to fix it | We finished fixing the car |
| We tested the Car | The car turned | We fixed it turning |
| I inspected the car | My partner dropped out | None |
| I added skid plates to the car | None | Added skid plates |
| I added the front bumper | Had to make it fit the car | Added the front bumper |
| I cut the spoiler out | Had to make multiple prototypes | Cut the spoiler |
| I assembled and attached the spoiler | None | Added the spoiler |
| I tested the car | None | None |
| I tested the car | It was turning | We fixed it turning |
| We worked on the web page | None | None |
| We worked on the web page | None | None |
Design Drawings
Design Drawing: Top View
Design Drawing: Side View
Final Car Specifications
| Car Size with Panel | Length: cm 27 | Width: cm 7.2 | Height: cm 7.3 |
| Weight with Panel | g 354.5 | ||
| Wheel Size | Front wheels: cm 3.2 | Back Wheels: cm 3.8 | |
| Gear Ration | motor gear: axel gear 12 : 44 = 3:11 |
Materials Used
| Item | Approx. Cost |
| New: | |
| Pitsco Ray Catcher Solar Panel (3V) | 38.25 |
| small black gears, wheels and axels | 3.99 |
| Pitsco Motor (3V) | 5.25 |
| balsa wood | 3.99 |
| Popsicle sticks | 3.99 |
| switch | 3.85 |
| Rubber bands | 2.99 |
| alligator clips (2) | 0.14 |
| tape | 3.00 |
| Reflective film | 5.99 |
| Piece of black binder comb to hold guide wire | 0.07 |
| Straw pieces for spacers | 0.25 |
| Consumables: | |
| solder | |
| hot glue | |
| Recycled materials: | |
| plastic cup | |
| Cardboard | |
| Plastic bottle |
Test Results / Trial Runs
Test Runs 1 – date: 3/9/24
Weather conditions:
Ran on panel or battery? Battery and Panel
Observations of results: We noticed the car had the guide not lined up
Any recommendations for improvements: the car was slow and we think that it was the eyelet.
| Attempt | Time, S (seconds) | Distance, M (meters) | Speed, M/S |
| 1 Battery | 10.28 | 20 | 1.95 |
| 2 Panel | 23 | 20 | 0.87 |
Test Runs 2 – date: 3/12/24
Weather conditions: Cloudy
Ran on panel or battery? Battery
Observations of results: Straight
Any recommendations for improvements: the car went fast and we think it it was the batteries
| Attempt | Time, S (seconds) | Distance, M (meters) | Speed, M/S |
| 1 | 6.75 | 17 | 2.67 |
| 2 | 6.47 | 17 | 2.63 |
| 3 | 7.12 | 17 | 1.60 |
Test Runs 3 – date: 3/16/24
Weather conditions: Sunny
Ran on panel or battery? Panel
Observations of results: Straighter
Any recommendations for improvements: the car went fast and we think it was straighter and good
| Attempt | Time, S (seconds) | Distance, M (meters) | Speed, M/S |
| 1 | 9.03 | 20 | 2.21 |
| 2 | 8.14 | 20 | 2.46 |
| 3 | 8.51 | 20 | 2.35 |
Video of Our Car Running
Car Features Video
Additional Information
Drawing of Our Original Car Idea
Electrical Schematic: This is our schematic of the electrical circuits. It is the same DC motor in both drawings.
Other pictures
The Team logo: The Speed Jets
The reflectors are a very unique addition to your car, love the out of the box thinking.