World Record holding Thrust SSC Team target 1000mph Land Speed Record

[edesignuk]

The British team that claimed the land speed record in 1997, taking a car through the sound barrier for the first time, is planning to go even faster.

RAF pilot Andy Green made history in 1997 when he drove the Thrust SSC jet-powered vehicle at 763mph (1,228km/h).

Now he intends to get behind the wheel of a car that is capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h).

Known as Bloodhound, the new car will be powered by a rocket bolted to a Typhoon-Eurofighter jet engine.

The team-members have been working on the concept for the past 18 months and expect to be ready to make their new record attempt in 2011.

BBC.

 

[velocityg4]

I don't know how that would be justified as the land speed record? If they mean manned land speed record or wheeled land speed record then of course. Otherwise I would say they have a long way to go to match the Air Forces Mach 8.5 rocket sled (6,416 mph / 10,325 km/h), for an absolute land speed record.

 

[costabunny]

I think it generally refers to a vehicle that is not tied to a rail or guide system. Both Thrust and Bloodhound are autonomous in the fact they rely only on solid ground to be beneath them.

Also, to qualify the vehicle must make a run in each direction and the average is taken (within a given time frame - can't remember it exactly).

I'll bet the rocket sled cant do these things.

True tho if it were just record manned vehicle speed at Ground level then I am sure the sled would be king.

Awesome - flying he flag once more (That Andy Green must have cahonas the size of London Buses!!!)

 

[cantthinkofone]

I think it's kind of cheating. Using a rocket.

Aren't there classes?

 

[djellison]

Aren't their classes?

Yup - and this is the unlimited class. The rules, basically

Four Wheels
Two of which steer (notably, Thrust SSC had rear wheel steering)

and then on the site - you have to do two runs thru a measured mile.

When you enter the measured mile, a clock starts running. You have to be BACK in the measured mile within the hour.

There are other classes as well - wheel driven (The Turbinator, I think) , wheel driven piston engined, wheel driven diesel ( which Andy Green ALSO holds with JCB Dieselmax! ) and so on...
I was an enormous fan of Thrust SSC, and frankly, Bloodhound SSC sends shivers up my spine. I only live about 30 minutes up the road from the museum where they keep Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC.

Attached - a photo of Thrust SSC, with me (sat in the engine ), Andy Mishkin (Sojourner Rover engineer), Sharon Laubach ( MER mission manager) and Scott Maxwell. Scott is a Rover Driver - and technically, holds the Mars land speed record (you may have seen his talk at Gnomedex). When the museum guy who took the picture said "Sit in the engine" - I didn't have to be asked twice

Doug