Viking XXX… …and the 554cc V8!

Engine and Transmission

The V8 engine and 6-speed transmission on Viking XXX are two items that make this car stand out. The engine block, crankshaft, connecting rods, and transmission case were designed and manufactured at the VRI by the FSAE team. The engine block was CNC machined out of aluminum. The heads were taken from a Kawasaki 250cc 4-stroke motorcycle engine that made peak power at 19,500 RPM. The 6-speed transmission case was machined in house out of aluminum, and features internals borrowed from a Honda 600cc F1 motorcycle. The transmission and engine are fully stressed members of the chassis and feature mounting points for the suspension.

Chassis

The chassis is based upon previous WWU carbon fiber tube designs with integrated CNC machined aluminum bulkheads. Viking XXX is the third evolution of this design and has evolved into a monocoque hybrid based on knowledge learned from previous generations. The chassis was constructed using the cut and fold technique developed in Formula One racing. The advantages of this design are rapid production time, no autoclave required, low overall chassis weight, and high torsional stiffness. We are one of only a handful of universities to make any type of monocoque chassis. The chassis is very advanced when compared to the typical steel tube frame of other Formula SAE competitors.

Carbon fiber chassis under construction->

 

 

Manufacturing

The manufacturing processes employed on Viking XXX are of the highest technology available to any Formula SAE team. Due to previous VRI research, students have access to machines such as CNC milling, CNC lathes, EDM machines, and the latest CAD programming software. Students use lightweight materials whenever and wherever possible to reduce weight and increase strength. In addition to titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber were used extensively. The team takes great pride in the high level of craftsmanship on this vehicle.