1000mph car fired up for first time

[Mike Mercury]

The jet engine of a 1,000mph supersonic racing car has been successfully fired up for the first time.



ref: Sky News

Bloodhound, which is fitted with a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine sourced from a Eurofighter Typhoon, was started up and taken to maximum reheat - a feat described as a "huge engineering milestone".

The test took place at Cornwall Airport Newquay, and it comes ahead of a planned drive along the airport's 1.7 mile long runway on 26 October.

But first, Bloodhound will need to undergo several days of tests to check its bespoke air intake, fuel and electrical systems.

When it was fired up, the car's pilot sat in the cockpit - throttling the jet engine with his right foot.

Stuart Edmondson, the head of engineering operations for Bloodhound, said the event was a "fantastic ending" to a week of testing.

He added: "Integrating a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine into the car is a huge challenge; however, we have succeeded. Witnessing the EJ200 jet engine at maximum reheat is a fantastic experience. Not only can you see the shock diamonds and hear the deafening noise, you can physically feel the power of the engine as your body shakes."

Now the static tests have been completed, the team is focusing on what it calls "dynamic testing" - and preparing for high-speed 200mph trials at the end of October.

The car was built at Avonmouth near Bristol - and after Wing Commander Andy Green has his first experience of driving Bloodhound, the motor will head to a desert venue in South Africa.

Engineers hope it will be able to reach 1,000mph in 2018 - covering one mile in a mere 3.6 seconds.

The car will be fitted with three hybrid rockets - producing 135,000 thrust horsepower when combined with the EJ200 engine.

Bloodhound is the result of more than eight years spent on research, design and manufacturing.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Gee....I wonder what rating his tires would be?

[Mike Mercury]

The task of driving the Bloodhound will fall to Wing Commander Green, who will lie feet-first in the Bloodhound SSC. As the car accelerates from 0 to 1,000 mph (0 to 1,609 km/h) in 42 seconds, he will experience a force of approximately 2.5g (two-and-a-half times his body weight).

To slow the vehicle, Green will deploy airbrakes at 800 mph (1,300 km/h), parachutes at 600mph (965km/h) and with disc brakes used below 250 mph (400 km/h). As he decelerates, he will experience a force of up to 3g.

The ThrustSSC, also driven by Andy Green, ran at 763 mph (1,228 km/h), thereby breaking the sound barrier, a record first for a land vehicle.

more info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodhound_SSC

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by Kerrmudgeon

Gee....I wonder what rating his tires would be?

Tires would have to be solid material, no pneumatic tire would survive that.

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by datawiz

Tires would have to be solid material, no pneumatic tire would survive that.

The four 36-inch (910 mm) diameter wheels will rotate at up to 10,200 rpm and will be forged from solid aluminium to resist the 50,000 g centrifugal forces.

[Bill]

Well, great, but does it have heated seats and a nav system? No? Pffft. Get back to me when it does.

[snide]

Originally Posted by datawiz

The four 36-inch (910 mm) diameter wheels will rotate at up to 10,200 rpm and will be forged from solid aluminium to resist the 50,000 g centrifugal forces.

You had to ask your daughter about that, didn't you?

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by snide

You had to ask your daughter about that, didn't you?

No, but she would know that answer.

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by datawiz

Tires would have to be solid material, no pneumatic tire would survive that.

I was thinking the same thing....

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Well, great, but does it have heated seats and a nav system? No? Pffft. Get back to me when it does.

Cup holders....how many cup holders???

[syf350]

this wont end well

[Dan Dlabay]

I would like to drive that jet just once.

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by syf350

this wont end well

Andy Green has already gone faster than the speed of sound, and will be driving this car. Same team, just more power, but a shit-ton more development time. While it may fail, their approach to it is logical and well thought out. No other driver on the planet is more capable of this than Andy.

[mrvette]

OK to wheels/tires? made from forged aluminum lined with Polycan'tpronouncit.....to they are normally indestructible ....fine, what happens when the hit a bump, which for us would be not ever noticed, but at THAT speed will take the wheels off.....

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by datawiz

Andy Green has already gone faster than the speed of sound, and will be driving this car. Same team, just more power, but a shit-ton more development time. While it may fail, their approach to it is logical and well thought out. No other driver on the planet is more capable of this than Andy.

apparently Mr. Green has big...





and his wife...