Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Redesign the exterior of the car on a sheet of paper with a pencil to increase its aerodynamics. Remember that drag is caused by air pushing against flat surfaces of the car, and that air likes to travel the path of least resistance. Design a car which is as flat and low to the ground as it can be, as well as having as few open areas or flat surfaces on the front of the car as possible. Bear in mind, however, that the balloon still needs room to inflate.
Build the exterior of the car from cardboard and glue or tape. Make the final car as close to the design on paper as possible. Overlap the upper layer of the nose of the car over the base of the car to increase its aerodynamics.
Feel the surface of your vehicle's exterior. If the material you used is smooth, like the waxy exterior of a shoebox, your vehicle will likely be alright. If you have decorated the front, or if the cardboard is a rougher stock, you will lose some forward motion from air friction. Apply a layer of contact paper, which is smoother, to decrease air friction.
Decrease the weight of the vehicle as much as possible by cutting out as much spare material as possible. The rear of the car can likely be decreased in weight. You may also be able to create a pass-through for air by cutting holes in the front and rear of the car.
Decrease the friction in the wheels by adding lubricant. Stick oil or other lubricants into the axle wells to minimize the friction. Friction is caused by two things rubbing against each other, no matter how smooth they feel. Lubricant helps minimize that.
Assemble a simple ball bearing, if you want to try. Slip some skewers or ball bearings between the axle well and the axle itself, provided this doesn't stop the axle from turning. Ball bearings decrease friction by decreasing the surfaces that are actually in contact. Lubricant and ball bearings will make an extremely low friction axle.