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It's been nearly two decades since I've been involved with a Pinewood Derby, but since my son is a Tiger Cub this year, we're building him a car.
.....and one for me as well. (Unlimited class, of course!)
My son did all the design decisions on his car, and I helped him with building it. But that's not why I'm posting. I'm showing off *my* car here, which I'm using to show off my geekiness. I'm sure my son would have preferred it if I did an X-Wing, but I have very few carpentry skills, not to mention the fact that I don't have many tools. So I went with a fairly easy shape, as well as one that's easy to recognize: the Galileo shuttlecraft.
I had to simplify things a bit, but I think it looks good. It still needs a clear coat and the wheels, but otherwise it's just about finished. In order to maintain the correct proportions, I had to significantly shorten the wheelbase from a standard racer. It's not going to win any races, but it'll look good doing it!
Registered: Jul 2002
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Very nice! I still have my Pinewood Derby cars hanging around in the closet somewhere, along with the 2nd Place trophy my second one received... I think...
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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For one of my pinewood derby cars I did a shuttlecraft. My dad helped me put in a blinking red light on the top and the nacelles went over the wheels. She crashed the first race and was unsalvagable.
Registered: May 2002
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-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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Funny thing - They had the track set up yesterday so people could come and make an early run to see if they needed any adjustments. I had finally put the wheels on mine, and brought it along too (this was mainly for my son). All the adults knew exactly what my "car" was. None of the kids did. My son (who's nearly 7) tried to explain it to the others as a picture I got off my computer. About the funniest comment I got from one of the kids was he thought it was a milk truck! Really don't know where the kid came up with that, because I don't think anyone's delivered milk around here since before I was born!
Registered: Jul 2002
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Oops, sorry, I'm prone to looking at only art, I have a distinct dislike of writes. I wasn't sure, I knew it was a 'car' but not for Planetary exploration.
-------------------- errrr...
Registered: Jan 2007
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Nice work B.J., did you run it in the trails? How'd it do?
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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The derby is tonight. My son has been overly excited about it all week. I should have some pictures of it completed and racing by Monday.
Registered: Jul 2002
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That looks great! Sounds like a lot of fun, too. I wish we had that at school. You ought to put a pic of the Galileo on that wiki page(I hadn't heard of Pinewood Derbies either).
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Here's a shot of my completed Galileo next to my son's more conventional design: Unfortunately, neither of us did very well. He was 35th out of about 40, and I was 18th out of 19. In any case, we both learned a lot for next year. He did have fun building and racing it, though, and that was the important part.
Registered: Jul 2002
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Really don't know where the kid came up with that, because I don't think anyone's delivered milk around here since before I was born!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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