What is the Pinewood Derby race?

Race Pinewood Derby is an event in which small wooden cars are racing with a specially designed track using only gravity for strength. These events are usually designed for CUB scouts and are sanctioned by boys' Scouts, but many other people also enjoy the Pinewood building and racing derby and can organize their own actions. Adults often help the boys design and build cars like the one that can be seen in the photo below. A car used in the sanctioned race Pinewood derby must meet certain specifications for length, width, height and weight. Unsapped races can have different specifications or in some cases virtually no restrictions at all.

History

The first Pinewood Derby race, which took place in 1953 in the California city of Manhattan Beach, was a spiritual child of a scout leader called Don Murphy. A year later, the program was adopted by the National Council of The Boy Scouts of America and the Pinewood Derby race soon became a tradition of scouts. No tap whoRIE is part of the Scout Cub package, it can usually participate in the Derby Pinewood race.

preparation

Long before the race, every boy has a Pinewood derby set to take home. Inside this set is a block of soft pine wood, four nails for axles and four plastic wheels. With the help of an adult, every boy designs or cuts or carved wood on the car based on official specifications for length, width and height. The car can be painted and detailed and attachments can be added if the final weight of the vehicle does not exceed the limit, which is usually 5 ounces (141.75 g). Before the official Pinewood Derby race, the cars are checked and considered by registered leaders to ensure that the requirements have been met.

track

The

Pinewood Derby race track usually has two to eight stripes, each of which has a guide belt in the middle to keep the car in its desk. The photo below is displayed by a three -lane derby withthe hammer. The track is usually about 30 to 50 feet (about 9.14 to 15.24 m), with one end to increase about 4 to 5 feet (about 1.2 to 1.5 m) from the ground. Most tracks are made of metal or wood.

Racing

cars are held on site at the elevated end of the track with a lever. After the lever is released, the cars begin to undress on the slope, driven only by gravity. After the distance is joined down at a certain distance, most of the tracks are equal to and has a long stretch of flat track in front of the target line. The example of the Pinewood Derby race Cub Scout Pack is seen in the following video.

Some songs are equipped with sensors that can determine the order of cars or even electronic timers. In the video below, each car is measured for ten thousandths of a second, along with the equivalent speed of the car if it was scaled for a standard racing car. When the track does not have Thje type of technology, one or more judges are usually used to determine the order of the car target.

Pinewood derby competitions withThey usually perform in heating, with the results of each recorded and recorded heat. Cars usually rotate between stripes for every heat, so each car always uses a different strip to match inaccurate footprints that could have lanes that are "faster" or "slower". Depending on how many cars are competing, the fastest cars in various heating can proceed to multiple races until the overall winner is set.

strategy

over the years many scouts and their adult partners have developed over how to build the fastest cars to reach victory. Tricks and tips have been studied and tested to find out what works best. Some competitors use aerodynamic patterns and add the exact amount of weight in the right places, sometimes drilling into wood and inserting small lead weights. Dry, powder lubricant such as Graphite can help reduce friction on wheels; Other types of lubrication such as oils are usually not allowed. The following videoIt contains several common tips for building a pinewood derby.

other car builders are more interested in the appearance of their cars and will try to have the coldest designs and painting. Some might try to make their pinewood derby look like specific brands and models of real cars, but others will create their own designs. CUB Scout packages often give prices for the best -looking cars except those who win races.