Ducted Fan Pinewood Derby Car

thingiverse

This is an outlaw-class pinewood derby car driven by a high-performance electric ducted fan. - I chose the ElectriFly 56mm ducted fan by Hyperflow to power my car. - The fan is powered by a 7.4V LiPo drone battery - I used a Venom 430, but a slightly smaller (mAH) battery would fit better and still provide plenty of power. - The fan will accommodate both brushed and brushless motors - I opted for a Dromida brushed motor, as brushless motors are faster but have larger, more complex electronics. - A rocker switch in the back of the car enables power to the system, while a microswitch in the front cuts power when it rests on the track starting gate and flows power when the starting gate drops. * The rocker switch is a NTE Electronics micro rocker SPST 6A 125VAC * The micro switch is an Omron SS-01GLE 0.1A 125VAC (using the NC contact) - The wheels are modified BSA wheels from the standard PWD kit, with the front wheels turned on a lathe to reduce their width and keep the hubs intact. - The trigger in the front features a smooth rod threaded for the lock and wing nuts - this piece needs to slide freely, so I chose not to use a completely threaded rod which would provide too much resistance. The car performed well and received rave reviews. It runs roughly 50% quicker than well-built regulation cars. The parts cost around $50 - $60 and were purchased from Amazon or Microcenter. This project is a blast - Enjoy!