Body/Shell

The body or shell of a real car has several purposes. It protects the passengers from wind and rain, provides added safety in case of a crash, and improves the car's appearance. But it also changes how the car performs because a well designed shell can reduce the force of air on the car as it moves.

Ideas

Here are some ideas for shells for your solar vehicle:

Materials

So how do you reduce the force of air on your solar car? One way might be to add a body or shell to it that deflects the air around the car. Some possible materials you might use are:

• poster board
• Cardboard
• foam core
• stiff insulation foam (e.g. "Foamula" can be bought at lumber stores)
• mylar or plastic sheet

Insulation foam can be carved to shape, made smooth with sandpaper, and even painted to look nicer (Warning: some paints, like spray paint, will "melt" foam so always try your paint on a piece of scrap foam that you don't need before using it on the real thing!)

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