Future Tactics : the Upraising

Set in the not too distant future, when Earth as we know it has succumbed to a race of extra-dimensional creatures. All hopes for restoring order on the shoulders of a young boy, his sister and their crazy rebellious posse of militants. In more concrete terms, Future Tactics: The Uprising is a turn-based tactical RPG that’s built around a highly complex battle engine, and features Story Mode and a two-player Battle Mode. Future Tactics: The Uprising comprises 18 3D environments, 19 levels, deformable terrain, fully animated and voiced cutscenes, a two-player customizable battle mode, the ability to custom build your team members with upgrades, and a Boot Camp tutorial mode.

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Download Future Tactics : The Upraising part 2:

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Download Future Tactics : The Upraising part 3:

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Pinewood derby history

pinewood derby history - founder don murphy 1953

Don Murphy
Cub Master of Cub Scout Pack 280C
Founder of the Pinewood Derby
Manhattan Beach, CA


The story of the pinewood derby starts with Don Murphy, Cub Master for Pack 280C in 1952. Don Murphy wanted to create a new father-son Cub Scout activity he could do with his 10 year old son who was too young to race in the Soap Box Derby, which requires the boy to drive a home made car down a hill. Don's young son couldn't wait 2 years to race in the Soap Box Derby, so "Dad" Murphy wanted to invent another activity to do with his son and the younger boys in his Cub Scout Pack. The ideas started percolating in Don Murphy's mind. His dedication to family values and Cub Scouting ideals, drove him, as stated in the quote above, to develop the idea of racing miniature pinewood derby cars down a track. He just needed to figure out a basic kit for these cars and design a track to race them on.

Don had been a model maker all his life, so the idea of racing small cars down a track came natural to him. It would be a fun and safe father-son activity for younger boys. He presented his idea of racing miniature pinewood derby cars to the Management Club at North American Aviation where he worked. They sponsored the Soap Box Derby, so perhaps they would also sponsor the first pinewood derby car race. The Management Club was excited about Don's new idea and agreed to sponsor the very first Pinewood Derby Car racing event for Pack 280C by donating trophies along with funds to make the car kits

Pinewood Derby Racing Gets Traction

Derby physics

Physics plays an important role in the design of a pinewood derby car. Here are a few areas where physics applies:

• Air Resistance
• Friction
• Potential Energy
• Rotational Inertia

Of all of these, friction and air resistance are the most well known and discussed online. These are the easiest to get right with just your intuition. But what about potential energy? Don’t all the cars have the same potential energy if they weight the same amount and are placed on the track at the same height? The answer is no! The amount of potential energy is determined by how far back your car’s center of mass is located. The center of mass is the point at which your car will balance (say on a pencil). If your car’s center of mass is located toward the front or middle of the car, you are missing out on potential energy. Potential energy is the “gas” your pinewood derby car runs on, so fill it up as much as you can. See the potential energy diagram to see the difference.

Pinewood derby

The Scout is given a block of wood made of pine with two notches for wheels, four plastic wheels and four nails. The finished car must use all nine pieces, must not exceed a certain weight (usually five ounces), must not exceed a certain length and must fit on the track used by that particular scout pack.

Blocks can be whittled with a hand knife or a band saw or Dremel carving tool for major shaping. Decals can be bought at scout shops or hobby shops. It is also possible to use standard model decals to replicate actual racing cars such as Richard Petty's 1970 Plymouth Superbird, shown at right. The original style is based on open wheel cars, however, fender or body kits are available, or wheels can simply be placed outboard of the body.

Other than the previous basic design rules, the Cub Scout is able to carve and decorate the car as he chooses. Many Cub Scouts also add weights to the final design to bring the car to the maximum allowable weight; coins, glue-in lead pieces, and melted lead are common ways to add weight. Cars typically vary from unfinished blocks to whimsical objects, to accurate replicas of actual cars. The fastest cars tend to resemble low doorstops, with weight at the rear. Graphite is usually the only lubricant allowed, and it often helps to polish the provided nails.

The idea behind the pinewood derby is for the parent, usually the father, but occasionally the mother or grandparent, to spend time helping the child design, carve, paint, add weights, and tune the final car. However, it is often the case that the parent takes over the construction of the car, an aspect of the event that was lampooned in the 2005 film Down and Derby, and also in a 2009 episode of "South Park". The quest for a fast car supports a cottage industry that supplies modified wheels, axles, and blocks as well as videos and instruction books. While a pinewood derby car kit costs around $4, a set of modified wheels and axles can sell for more than ten times that amount. These aftermarket items are legal under some Pack rules since the parts originally came from an official BSA kit. Complete cars can be purchased on eBay and elsewhere for around $100 to $200.^[5] Although these cars violate the spirit of the event, if not the rules, enforcement can be difficult.