Great Info for Balsa Teams!

Problem 4, the Balsa Problem, is unique in some ways from the other four major long-term problems. Specifics differ from year feature7to year, but a balsa structure is always required, as well as the use of a crusher board, and placement of weights ranging from 5 lbs. to 45 lbs. to “crush” the team-created structure.

Here are a few resources that can help make solving this problem a “smashing” good time!

Structure Building Jigs | Diary of a Balsa Goddess 

This is a very detailed website, created by a veteran Odyssey structure builder.

Vermont Balsa Training Guide

A thorough guide – some info (such as balsa sources) may be outdated.

Instructions for Building a Crusher Board

Here are some sites that sell balsa wood:

dhar1As you can see, Problem 4 is about more than just crushing a structure.

This team’s theme involves plate tectonics and Pangaea.