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Discussion for Air Trajectory B/C.

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Anyone have any clue what is new for this year?

Argus wrote:Anyone have any clue what is new for this year?

Yes;) Might as well give a high level summary of major changes since this is in my committee. As always though, you really need to read the actual rules to understand the specifics:

-Nominal mass items like strings / container walls aren't considered part of the falling mass
-Max device size reduced: 70cm cube C, 80cm cube B
-Foam golf balls allowed
-Launch area size reduced: 1m square
-Far target can be up to 2m right or left of the centerline
-Bucket shot max points increased to 300

chalker wrote:

Argus wrote:Anyone have any clue what is new for this year?

Yes;) Might as well give a high level summary of major changes since this is in my committee. As always though, you really need to read the actual rules to understand the specifics:

-Nominal mass items like strings / container walls aren't considered part of the falling mass
-Max device size reduced: 70cm cube C, 80cm cube B
-Foam golf balls allowed
-Launch area size reduced: 1m square
-Far target can be up to 2m right or left of the centerline
-Bucket shot max points increased to 300

Guess that means I have to start working on my bucket shot aiming skills!!
Oh and my angles.
Yay! Time to start working on my device and do countless hours of repetitive monotonous practice to get the ball in one spot!!

chalker wrote:

Argus wrote:Anyone have any clue what is new for this year?

Yes;) Might as well give a high level summary of major changes since this is in my committee. As always though, you really need to read the actual rules to understand the specifics:

-Nominal mass items like strings / container walls aren't considered part of the falling mass
-Max device size reduced: 70cm cube C, 80cm cube B
-Foam golf balls allowed
-Launch area size reduced: 1m square
-Far target can be up to 2m right or left of the centerline
-Bucket shot max points increased to 300

My rule manual is coming in tommorow haha. I just am super impatient and excited to start. The 70cm cube size restrictions will probably be the most difficult part but it can definitely be done. Thank you very much for the info I can't wait to start building!!!!!

Any plans on how to adapt to the size restrictions? Also what kind of pvc do you use? Thin walled?

Do you guys use physics to calculate exactly how far and what force is needed to launch the projectile or do you just test it?

Just test. The important thing is that your machine is consistent.

daycd wrote:Just test. The important thing is that your machine is consistent.

Exactly the approach we use for this event and many other builds. If you're starting out and aren't sure if something will work, just test the main step(s) that might not work. If you're dropping a mass onto a bottle, you probably don't need to make a contraption that drops the mass yet. And if something just barely works, there's a chance it won't work under slightly different conditions.

Actually this will be my second year with this event and I have a lot of experience. Last year, I only tested to achieve my results and placed second at state, but this year, I am in physics and have started wondering if there would be a way to actually calculate the initial velocity that I would need for each launch and then quantify the force produced by my device into an initial velocity that I could use as a variable.
I think there is a ratio that relates the effect of air resistance to distance that I could find and employ
Thoughts?