Abstract/Artists Statement: Three students from Central Washington University have come together to design and manufacture a unique RC Car for the annual regional RC Baja Car competition held by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The RC car will compete in three events, Baja, Slalom and Sprint. The objective for this project was to create a unique build based off previous team’s projects. The new design was optimized for functionality and performance to compete in each event and excel above other competition as well. The design process before finalizing on a design that resembled that of a real car was thoroughly calculated and researched. The new chassis was created from wood rather than metal which allowed for a custom design and significant amount of weight reduction from more than 7 pounds down to an impressive 5 pounds. Using manufacturing machines such as drill presses, routers, table saws, and mills, connection locations on the chassis for each component was created. To simulate jumps and crashes, the car was subjected to a 2-foot drop and frontal impact. The results showed the vehicle could withstand the 2-foot drop without compromising performance. The frontal impact test resulted in minimal damage that did not compromise the operation of the vehicle.

Keywords: Baja, Chassis, RC