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History | |
11/10/06 |
          
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The History of Weeroona Teams at the RACV Energy Breakthrough 1999 Weeroona Bandit Started by technology teacher John Taylor as an extra-curricular activity. Good school support, budget of $2500. Core of keen year 9 students. Some assistance from parents and staff. Designed vehicle ourselves to fit in Bendigo Senior Secondary College fibre glass canopy. Built an innovative side by side tandem hybrid from scratch with a 31cc Honda engine. Vehicle complied with all dimension rules for a single seat hybrid even though it was a tandem. Built many components ourselves; crank, pedals, wheels, disc brakes, etc. Outcome: Students and teachers had a tremendous sense of achievement even though they finished mid field. All were keen to do it again the following year. For 2000 we decided to: - offer energy vehicles as a year 9 and 10 technology studies elective, - build future vehicles based on a proven commercial design and - seek a greater budget. 2000 WRT and Prius Junior Conducted a technology elective called Energy Vehicles for years 9 & 10 Purchased plans for a Greenspeed GLR 16/19 trike. Designed and built our own design fibre glass canopy mould which would fit the Greenspeed trike Upgraded 1999 vehicle with new wheels, a 3 speed gearbox in the engine transmission and other improvements. Renamed vehicle Weeroona Racing Team, WRT. Secured $2000 sponsorship from Bendigo Toyota in addition to good school budget. Built Prius Junior, a petrol/electric hybrid Chassis was based on Greenspeed design and made from mild steel tube. Power was from a GX 31 Honda engine and a 200w electric bike motor. Canopy was taken from our new mould and was made of chopped strand fibre glass mat. Outcomes: Prius Junior won Hybrid 2 section outright, including trial, design and construction, and display and presentation. It set fastest lap of all vehicles. WRT finished well in trial but they didnt attend the design and construction assessment session so finished very low overall!
2001 Discovery, MAX and Prius Junior Gained sponsorship from Toyota and the Discovery Science and Technology Centre Built our first HPV , Discovery, based on Greenspeed GLR 16/19 with modifications to suit our canopy shape. Chassis was Cro Mo and canopy light woven fibre glass. Built a new pedal/petrol hybrid MAX. Vehicle was basically the same as Discovery with a transmission system added to allow for drive from the GX 31 Honda engine. Prius Junior was modified to include an additional electric motor and repainted. Weeroona students produced the Breakthrough Bugle at the event . Outcomes: Discovery won HPV class B trial and outright, MAX won Hybrid 1 trial and outright (First across the line of all hybrids) . Prius Junior had a bad crash, broke its chassis in half and finished overall runner up in hybrid 2 class.
2002 Discovery, eMAX and PJ2 Built new smaller canopy mould to suit primary HPVs and Hybrid 2 (no pedal) vehicles. Built new hybrid 2 vehicle PJ2 to replace the wrecked Prius Junior. It included new Cro Mo space frame chassis, new transmission and used the new small canopy. MAX was converted to an electric hybrid , eMAX. Discovery had a new canopy built for it. Outcomes: Discovery finished runner up in HPV class B trial and outright. eMAX set fastest lap of all hybrid 1 vehicles but had a bad crash, bending the main cross-member, and finished runner up overall in hybrid 1 open. PJ2 set fastest lap of all hybrid vehicles, won hybrid 2 trial section and was runner up overall.
2003 Rocky, MAX and PJ2 Bendigo Voice and Data and Cartridge World provided substantial sponsorship. Competed at Wonthaggi using Discovery and MAX less motor. Won junior secondary class. Built new HPV, Rocky, which included more modifications to Greenspeed chassis and a lowered canopy. eMAX was converted back to MAX with a new GX 25 Honda engine with electric start and a new transmission. Outcomes: Rocky won HPV class B trial and outright. It finished second in trial of all HPVs. MAX was second in trial but won Hybrid 1 open outright. PJ2 won Hybrid 2 trial and outright. Three classes entered, three outright trophies!
2004 Reloaded, Rocky, Bee Bee and PJ2 Competed at Wonthaggi with Rocky, Discovery and MAX. Won junior secondary trial and set fastest lap of all vehicles. Built new HPV, Reloaded. Chassis was modified further for lower C of G and easier fitting of canopy. Canopy was strengthened with carbon fibre. Built new eMAX using Discovery chassis. Competed in AIPP at Murray Bridge using Reloaded and eMAX. Reloaded won Horrie Aspenal Design Innovation award and eMAX won shootout for first place on the grid with the fastest laptime and won hybrid section. Built new HPV, Bee Bee, for our primary students. Built new covered trailer to transport vehicles. Outcomes: Rocky team members were mostly year 9 and finished midfield. Bee Bee finished midfield in the primary division. Reloaded won HPV class B trial and outright. PJ2 won Hybrid 2 trial and outright.
2005 Bee Bee, Reloaded, PJ2, eMAX, Fill · Competed at Maroondah 6 hour event. · Built new HPV Fill. Reduced canopy height, smoothed canopy sides in region of mirror openings and fitted convex PETG windscreen. · eMAX fitted with new design battery holders and repainted.
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Allowed year 7 and 8 students to
compete for the first time (Reloaded). Outcomes: · Bee Bee were overall winners of their primary division (schools<200 students). · Reloaded with year seven and eight students finished ninth in HPV class B trial. · Fill finished runners up overall in HPV class B. · PJ2 won Hybrid 2 trial and overall. · eMAX won Hybrid 1 open trial and overall.
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