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Doing 763 mph in 1997, Andy Green created the present land speed record for earth-bound motor vehicles, in the Thrust SSC. The latest supersonic car is now targeting 1,000 mph.
Three men who worked on Thrust are also connected in the current Bloodhound project, including chief aerodynamicist Ron Ayres, driver Wing Cmdr Andy Green and project manager Richard Noble, who was the driver of the record created in 1983.
The Bloodhound SSC will be controlled by three engines: a hybrid rocket, 800bhp V12 engine and Eurojet EJ200 jet engine. The team’s goal is to reach 800 mph in 2009, 900 mph in 2010 and 1,000 mph in 2011, driving over the dried up lakebed known as Hakskeen Pan, in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
Engineers are certain that they have had a major breakthrough concerning the problem of keeping the Bloodhound’s rear end on the ground, having now created zero lift. By manipulating the position and shaping key elements of the car's back end, the design team has now discovered the most efficient way to handle the shockwave passing around and below the vehicle as it reaches supersonic speeds.
The 42 foot vehicle will cruise at 1.4 times that of sound and in so doing smash the existing record. “A piece of dirt at Mach 1.4 is faster than a bullet,” John Piper, one of Bloodhound’s team said.
While the team’s claim has a lot of promise, they still have a lot of work to complete on the winglets that control lift, the jet intake ducts, the aero shape, the large rear fin, the air brakes, as well as the air flow into the pencil-shaped car.
There are however three main competitors in the race to obtain a new land-speed and rip the title off Britain. Since the first record was created in 1898 England has managed to hold onto the land-speed record longer than any other country. They have held for over a quarter of a century, since 1983. Britain is not going to let the title go without a major fight.
There are no restrictions on the car design in this sport. The North American Eagle has created a vehicle based on an old military F-104 jet fighter. The Eagle team has been experimenting for the past ten years, with a limited amount of success. The Eagle apparently reached speeds of between 300 – 400 mph in its last test session.
The team building Fossett LSR, was led by Steve Fossett, the American Adventurer, who went missing last year in a light aircraft. The team went on and finished the car, after Fossett’s wrecked aircraft was found. They are now searching for a new owner/sponsor.
The car is said to be ready for the speed challenge and could in fact create a new record before the Bloodhound SCC does.
The Aussie Invader LSR has been pursued by Rosco McGlashan for several years. His Aussie Invader 2 was based on Richard Noble’s Thrust 2 concept. It was badly smashed up when it hit a timing light at over 500 mph. The new Aussie Invader 5R is a rocket car that is thought to be capable of reaching supersonic speeds and is a firm competitor in the world record.
About Fastest Vehicle On Land
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