Students of the Belgorod Technological University have designed, built and already tested an innovative racing car. Their Black Stingray will take part in and maybe even win the engineering competition Formula Student. 70% of all the required parts were hand-built by the young engineers themselves. Alexandr Revunov — on the project that allowed Belgorod Region to come in second in the Technologies Challenge Cup.
Most Innovative Russian Region. The Black Stingray covers 100 meters in 4 seconds. The car nails every sharp turn, accelerating so hard, it goes through a burnout. Every new component is tested this way. The driver has to pass his own exam. In emergency situations, he has to act almost automatically. But that requires a good level of fitness.
Anton Dikevich, Chief Driver at Formula BSTU 2017: "It's hard to control the car — the steering wheel is small and formula-type cars have no power steering, so steering is actually hard".
Stingray J2 was recognized as one of the best regional projects at the Open Innovations International Forum in Skolkovo. This racing car was designed and hand-built by students of the Belgorod State Technological University. Representatives of different faculties— engineers, economists, and architects have teamed up for a common goal.
Victoria Saplinova, Lead Engineer at Formula BSTU 2017: "You need to strive to make a cool competitive car that would attain international fame. And I hope one day, soon, Germans will say: "Wow, this Russian car is sweet!".
Victoria is the designer behind the racing car. She drew inspiration from the aquatic world. The previous model's silhouette resembled a shark. The new one looks like a stingray. On a rally in the Czech Republic and Italy, the students performed on par with seasoned racers.
Artyom Korneyev, Head of Formula BSTU 2017: "It's not a battle of cars, but rather a battle of engineers, technologies, designs and concepts. The races are where young engineers show their potential. It's the entertainment part, so to speak, that comes after all the technical struggles".
Before picking up a wrench, the students thoroughly calculated the model's cost. To save money, they welded the steel pipes themselves. Some parts were supplied by the local factories.
The future engineers are proud of the car having their own know-how technology. They've managed to boost the engine of a racing bike by adjusting the fuel supply system. This car weighs 280 kilograms which puts it below its competitors. But the students have their own strategy — safety before low weight. Instead, they are currently adjusting the suspension and experimenting with composite materials.
Another idea is to create their own racing car but this time — with an electric engine. On top of that, the team of drivers and engineers is going to build a Formula 1 car, try their hand at designing offroaders, and create a hybrid car for disabled people in order to start the mass production of these cars. The students are serious about entering the international automotive market. And it's quite possible. They already have a perfectly calibrated 20-year business plan. Alexandr Revunov, Andrey Kutsov, Mikhail Shum. Vesti, Belgorod.
