Events
Thanks to all teams who have confirmed their intention to participate in the FS2020 Virtual Static Events in this unique year.
We would like to remind you that there are document submissions required for Engineering Design coming up soon (see Key Dates).
There is plenty of existing advice for what the Design Report should contain but this year is slightly different and so the Report needs a slightly different bias. Judges won’t be seeing your vehicles this year and therefore the virtual Engineering Design event is based around the Concept Class (was Class 2) approach. We will be concentrating on your design process along with how, over the next 12 months, you plan to turn up at FS2021 with a reliable running vehicle that meets the 2020 Rules.
The judging is based upon the 5 major categories as shown in the Virtual Engineering Design Score Sheet (see Forms and Docs).
As your subsequent Engineering Design presentations (due 30 June 2020) and associated Q&A with judges in July are split out into those 5 category areas, we strongly suggest you structure your Design Report similarly. Use the points allocated to ration the allowed pages accordingly unless you have some particularly interesting feature etc. that you feel deserves priority.
Include a very brief introduction that explains your basic team resources and your past experience. Give a one sentence description of your design concept, your prioritised performance goals and the major vehicle design targets. You don’t need to summarise the FS event or why this year is different.
For each of the 5 categories concisely summarise your approach, focusing on how and why decisions were made rather than just stating what you did. As this year we are considering “paper designs” make sure to include how you will progress to completing the vehicle within the next 12 months. This should include planning and testing and maybe even some contingency measures.
Finally, a brief concluding sentence or two that reviews where you are now compared to your original targets and also to where you need to be in 12 months. Be honest and explain why there are differences: it’s more real!
Remember that the Design Report is a summary of engineering process and progress: its not a marketing brochure.
The Design Spec Sheet is the place for detailed numbers so don’t repeat small details in the Report: just direct the reader to the Spec Sheet. Where you intend to expand upon detail in your presentation submissions then highlight this in your text so Judges have something to look forward to.
Your Design Report should be clear and readable: most Judges read these on a small laptop and many of us are of advancing years, so please help us by NOT using a twin column newspaper style layout.
Thanks, good luck and stay safe.
Neill Anderson
Head Design Judge