Students at Coventry’s WMG Academy for Young Engineers won three trophies last week at the F1 in Schools national finals at Silverstone Race Track.

The students scooped up a trophy for designing the fastest F1 racing car for the second time in a row at this national event, as well as trophies for innovation and for winning the knock out competition. The team, Academy Racing, were up against stiff competition made up of successful teams from ten regional finals and finished 6^th overall.

Eddie Hodierne (16), Team Manager, Student at WMG Academy for Young Engineers said,

“The National competition was an amazing experience and took place over 2 days at Silverstone. Our car has some unique features and many people visited Academy Racing’s stand to understand what made it so fast.”

F1 in Schools is a challenge where students from over 40 countries compete for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy. This involves using CAD/CAM computer software to design, analyse, manufacture, test and race miniature F1 cars. The cars are powered by a small CO2 cylinder and can reach speeds of over 50mph over a 20m track. Not only is there is a rigorous set of technical regulations to follow but the students have to demonstrate the wider functions of a real F1 team, including all aspects of marketing and sponsorship.

The team managed to secure funding from Autins and James Camden Engineering. There are many expenses associated with the competition and the team would not have been able to enter without this support.

Matthew Brady, Teacher at WMG Academy for Young Engineers said,

“F1 in Schools is one of the academy’s enrichment activities and the students focussed initially on basic car design, learning what can be achieved with the CAD/CAM facilities in the Engineering Hall, and what ideas worked the best.

The race car may only be balsa model but the level of technology involved approaches that of real F1. A 3D drawing package was used to design the car, which was then subjected to computational fluid dynamics modelling to simulate its behaviour in an airstream. With additional information from a mechanical wind tunnel, this was used to optimise the final design for the competition.”

Machining of the car body was achieved using the Academy’s CNC equipment but the front and rear aerofoils needed to be manufactured to very tight tolerance, which required the help of Dr Greg Gibbons from WMG, at the University of Warwick.

Dr Greg Gibbons, Head of WMG's Additive Layer Manufacturing group said,

“It was great working with the WMG Academy F1 in Schools team, realising their unique and award winning structural designs. 3D Printing has proven again to be a key enabler in providing the team with a technical and competitive advantage. It is absolutely brilliant that their hard work has been rewarded by winning the Fastest Car award (again) and for their award for innovation.”

The WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry opened in September 2014 with an intake of 220 Students in Years 10 and 12. In September 2016 they welcomed their new Year 10’s and 12’s to complete the compliment of four school years, with 400 students enjoying the facilities of a new building and engineering workshops. Located close to the University of Warwick campus, students at the academy benefit from close ties with the university and shared resources.

 

Notes to editors

A second academy, WMG Academy for Young Engineers Solihull will be opening in September 2016, with an intake of 200 students in Year 10 and Year 12, located in the Chelmsley Wood area of Solihull. There’s a large workshop area as well as multi-use classrooms, designed to deliver a STEM based curriculum.

WMG Academy for Young Engineers Solihull will deliver a business-led and business-like education focussed on engineering and applied digital technology for young people aged 14-19 in the local area.

Employer Partners for the WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull include: Jaguar Land Rover, Controls and Data Services (formerly Aero Engine Controls), Arup, Automotive Insulations, Dassault Systemes, and Prodrive.

The new WMG Academy is currently taking applications for the first cohort of students to start in September 2016. Visit: http://www.wmgacademysolihull.org.uk/

 

Image info:

Eddie Hodierne, Team Manager, age 16, Coventry

Josh Barfield, Design Engineer, age 15, Solihull

Kieran O'Toole, Manufacturing Manager, age 15, Rugby

Callum Kennedy, Manufacturing Manager, age 15, Coventry

Alex Buxton
Communications Manager
Tel: 02476 150423
Mob: 07876 218166
a.buxton.1@warwick.ac.uk

The new WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull is currently taking applications for students to start in September 2016.

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