Engineering UGears Top Fuel Dragster

Named for the very rich air-fuel mix of 90% nitromethane and methanol that powers the car’s 11,000 horsepower engines (the equivalent power of ten Formula 1 cars combined), a top fuel dragster consumes fuel at the rate of 11 gallons per second—the same burn rate as a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, only the dragster engine is four times more efficient! On the straightaway a top fuel dragster will leave the fastest Bugatti or Porsche in the dust—it's not even a competition. The quarter-mile record for top fuel dragsters is an incredible 3.6 seconds!

One look at the Top Fuel Dragster by UGears tells you this is no ordinary toy car. The model is driven by a powerful spring motor and gear set that transmits power through the crankshaft and belt drive (a rubber band passing through a tensioner with a roller) to the rear wheels, which have special silicone gaskets for extra grip. The DIY wooden model has a Start/Stop button, and variable driving modes, and can rear up on its back tires when peeling out, just like a real dragster. The Top Fuel Dragster has an open "skeleton" body, revealing the beauty and amazing inner mechanics of this racer.

To operate the model, make sure the "start/stop" switch is set to the "stop" position, then twist the non-removable winding knob at the back of the Dragster about a dozen times in a clockwise direction. Place the Dragster on the floor and while holding it with one hand, flip the "start/stop" button to "start," then release. Because this is UGears, and because we love including realistic details that add that "wow!" factor, in the "stop" position, the air intake dampers are closed and in the "start" position they open!