Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race
2010 Race Report: Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal

Coming from the Sollers Point Technical High School, Heavy Metal sported a variety of impressive engineering designs. The pontoons rode on land above the sculpture, but pivoted down for the water entry. (You may also recognize the pontoons from 2009’s Engineering-award winner Cheese Racer.)

Dry ice provided a cloudy water entry.

With her flag, Heavy Metal resembled Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware. Her two spare tires were mounted high on the back for ready access.

However, her tires seemed too small to propel through the mud. As the Timekeeper peered at the Mud Vortex Timer cascading away the seconds in the 2-minute aqueous hourglass, Heavy Metal’s pilots and crew heaved with all their might to extract the sculpture from the Mud Mongers’ goo.

There was a new award this year, the Fill in the Gap award, from the “Judges who always complain about the award they want to give, but can’t”. Becuase Sollers Point students machined the entire drivetrain on the sculpture, rather than using off-the-shelf components, they clearly understood the mechanics involved in Kinetics.

She also required portage across the sand, but sailed through the finish line showing little sign of damage from her 15-mile journey.