Club member Eric Dewhirst spoke about the UK’s ‘Bloodhound’ challenge to the world land speed record.
Harking back over history serious speeding started in 1898 when a battery powered electric car managed 39 mph - and another over 65 mph a year later.
But that was it for electricity! Steam took the Stanley Rocket to 127.60 in 1906; then it was internal combustion. Famous names – Henry Ford, Sir Malcolm Campbell, Henry Seagrave, John Cobb eventually broke the 400 mph barrier by 1947. And on to the era of jet engines and cars no longer driven through their wheels.
1964 saw Craig Breedlove with ‘Spirit of America’ beyond 500, then 600 mph the following year. And, finally, to the current record holder, for the UK – Wing Commander Andy Green at 763.343mph in ‘Thrust SSC 11’ in October 1997.
And now Commander Green is part of a new attempt – 1,000 mph over a 10 mile course on the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa. But the project is about more than creating the fastest car in the world. 2,410 schools, 98 FE colleges and 33 universities are involved, with the aim of interesting young people and persuading them that careers in science, engineering and manufacturing are both exciting and important for our future.
‘Bloodhound’ itself is awesome – truly a chariot of fire! It has three engines; the first a Rolls Royce turbofan as used in the Typhoon Eurofighter will take the car to 700 mph. The second power unit, a hybrid rocket, will run for just 20 seconds to power the car through the measured mile. The third engine is from a Formula 1 racing car and is needed just to pump a tonne or so of liquid hydrogen peroxide to the rocket engine.
The aim is to cross the start of the measured mile at 1050 mph – faster than a speeding bullet! (even a bullet from Dirty Harry’s .44 magnum could only do 920 mph!)
The mile will pass in three and a half seconds and then, with less than five miles of track left, the car will be brought to a halt with air brakes, parachutes and ordinary brakes – to be turned around within the hour to do it all again in the opposite direction. One can only wish this astonishing project the greatest success.
