Cars

Home CO2 Racing Cars Physics of CO2 Racing Making your own CO2 Car
 
 

      Your basic CO2 car is simply an 8 x 1.5 x 4 inch block of wood which is then shaped to be as smooth and aerodynamic as possible.
Most cars have exterior wheels (Wheels placed outside the car's body) but some have interior wheels which reduces friction and adds
speed. For thrust, a single CO2 canister fits in a 3/4 inch wide hole in the back of the car. The canisters typically hold 6 cubic
ounces of carbon dioxide, but the CO2 gas can be compressed up to seventy thousand psi. This however, creates no danger for the
builder since most canisters are 1/16 inches of refined steel. The front axels are usually smaller in comparison to the rear
wheels because the weight is usually lesser in the front. To add the axels, two holes must be drilled and the wheels can fit right
onto a metal pin which then can go through the hole. The pin used is placed inside a straw which is also placed inside the axel
hole. The straw provides a bearing and adds lubrication. Brass washers are normally used to separate the wheels from the body and add
lubrication.

There are many different variations of CO2 cars, but only several are actually used for racing. They fall into these basic
categories.       Rail Cars are the most common among amateur CO2 racing and are probably the easiest
to make. They are essentially a front section and a rear section connected by a long center piece which can be very
thin like a rail. Rail cars are normally faster because their entire structure is smaller than most cars which is good
in a race. Rail cars are easy and inexpensive to produce, however, their narrow frames are easily damaged and they often
don't survive more than two races.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Shell Cars are very unique compared to most CO2 cars. These cars are usually built for speed and nothing else. They are
normally created with CNC or CAD programs and require much more skill and knowledge to produce. Professionals usually hollow out
the underside of the car making the entire body into somewhat of an upside down shell. This decreases weight and adds speed by a
large fraction but is very difficult to do by hand. Shell cars are more expensive to produce because they require special attatch-
attatchment clips for wheels and special software to build and shape the body. A special type of wood called balsa is also used in
most shell car designs.Balsa wood is probably only 20% as heavy as normal cedar and while this adds speed and acceleration, it
takes away from the overall structural integrity.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     Normal Cars are sometimes thought of as a mix of Rail Cars and Shell Cars. They can be a variety of shapes and sizes, with an assortment
of advantages and disadvantages depending on their general and specific designs. Normal cars are used a lot on competitive racing
because of their durability and their relatively good performance. Normal Cars can be made with hand tools and few parts and with
a clever design, can give excellent results in multiple races.


Rail Car


Shell Car


Normal Car

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Home CO2 Racing Cars Physics of CO2 Racing Making your own CO2 Car

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