MagLev C

[darkwinters]

For the 1/4" dowel, does that mean 1/4" diameter or 1/4" radius?

Diameter.

The idea is basically making sure that just about nobody can stick their finger in and touch the propeller.

In seriousness I have absolutely no idea as to why it is that they didn't do this last year.

[chalker]

In seriousness I have absolutely no idea as to why it is that they didn't do this last year.

That's easy to answer - it didn't occur to us that teams would have propellers spinning at such high speeds and force to be that dangerous. During the previous years of having this as a trial event we didn't see designs like that.

[CHackett]

Isn't rule 6b in conflict with rule 6c? If a team's vehicle doesn't successfully run, do they get a mass score of 0 or -5?

[chalker]

Isn't rule 6b in conflict with rule 6c? If a team's vehicle doesn't successfully run, do they get a mass score of 0 or -5?

6.c. could be a little clearer, but essentially if you don't attempt or move at all you are going to get -5 points. If you move a bit, you'll get 0 points. The scoring rubic referenced in rule 6 is setup that way.

[lepidolite]

Any rules about having magnets on the outside of the track in addition to the inside?

[darkwinters]

Any rules about having magnets on the outside of the track in addition to the inside?

You're allowed to mount them on the siderails, but I'm not sure about the actual outside of the track.

[joeyjoejoe]

Not sure about the benefit but I don't see anything in the rules that would prohibit it.

[twototwenty]

Any rules about having magnets on the outside of the track in addition to the inside?

Actually, I would be careful about doing this - the rules say that you can only let propellers and their casing extend outside the rails, so putting magnets on the outside would probably be a violation.

[joeyjoejoe]

3.e refers only to the vehicle not the track.

[twototwenty]

Excuse me, I misunderstood the question...then, I would assume that you be allowed to do this, but as joeyjoejoe said, there wouldn't really be any benefit, so far as i can see. You can't have any part of the vehicle on the outside of the track that external magnets would react with, so...