GPWizard F1 Forum
Everything Else => General Automotive => Topic started by: Wizzo on October 24, 2008, 03:23:17 PM
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This has been widely publicised but I thought some of you may have missed it.
A British team launched an attempt on Thursday to set a new land speed record with a rocket-powered car that could reach 1,000 miles per hour. The Bloodhound Project is led by Richard Noble, who oversaw the team which set the existing record of 763 mph in the Black Rock desert of Nevada 11 years ago.
Noble, who first set the land speed record in 1983, said "We have held the land speed record for the last 25 years and we still hold it. There is early competition developing and we have to defend our record."
The car will be driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, who was also at the wheel when ThrustSSC set the record in 1997.
Almost 13 metres (42 feet) long, it will weigh 6.4 tonnes, it will be able to reach speeds of up to 450 metres per second -- equivalent to the length of four football pitches.
To achieve its aim of adding more than 200 mph to the existing record, the car will need to be as tough as a submarine, withstanding 12 tonnes of force per square metre.
The organisers say they are confident of securing sponsorship for the 10-million-pound project, which is being developed by the Bristol-based University of the West of England.
They are aiming to complete the construction of the car by next year and achieve the new record by 2011. Best of British luck to them!
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10 million doesn't sound like a huge budget for such an undertaking. I guess 1000 mph is the last great record to go after. The next benchmark must be Mach 2 but that isn't going to crete the same buzz as Mach 1 or 1000mph.