Back-yard speed record attempt aims for 2,000mph
Californian engineer reckons he can double Bloodhound SSC's 1,000mph ambitions
And the quite astonishing thing about the project is that, unlike the British Bloodhound SSC project, which has soaked up millions of pounds and is being created by a dedicated team of engineers and other brainy types, Sonic Wind is a one-man operation.
Super-fast X-15 provides motive power...
Now, it would be easy to dismiss Stakes as a crackpot with a snowball's chance in hell of getting his project off the ground. But that would be a cheap shot, and does not take into account two things: one, he already has speed-record form with both bikes and cars and two, he happens to own a pair of XLR99 rocket engines.
These were developed for NASA's X-15 experimental plane, which still holds the fastest speed ever reached by a manned rocket-powered aircraft (4,519mph). In addition to the 57,000lb-thrust rocket (which out-thrusts Bloodhound by a good 10,000lb), Stakes also owns a pair of fuel tanks from a Redstone rocket.
...to take on British Bloodhound project
Mr Stakes, we salute your passion for speed.
If you want to find out more details of Waldo Stakes's mad venture, head on over to Popular Mechanics
What does a Home Built rocket car + 57,000 lbs of thrust make?
Is the answer A. 2000MPH land speed record, or B. Rather rapid end to a mans life?
Thrust SSC was a case in point. SSC was designed via endless computer simulations to see how it would behave in the trans-sonic region (sort of Mach 0.9 - 1.3 from memory, but don't quote me on that). They then verified these findings with tests on a rocket sled. As mentioned above, and to quote Breedlove, SofA Sonic Arrow was 'basically designed by eye'. As a result it lifted a wheel about 15 ft at 675 mph.
I fear with the speeds now being talked about and the physical forces acting on the car, the days of the garagista with a big engine may be numbered.
(Assuming the same shape, etc.)
Since he isn't getting four times the power, he's going to have to do some seriously tricky stuff with the shape of the machine, which I suspect will affect the stability somewhat.
It will be interesting to see what happens. I applaud his efforts too. There doesn't seem to have been as much "pushing the limits of what is possible" in my lifetime, so well done to him.
Colour me "interested, impressed, but sceptical."
My working out is on the back of a fag packet, so may be wrong. Like the guy we're talking about.
OTHER QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED WILL BE
AT WHAT SPEED WILL HE TAKE OFF ?
WHAAT ALTITUDE WILL HE REACH?
AT WHAT POINT WILL HE DIE ?
ITS A SHAME HE DOESN'T HAVE A COUPLE OF SPARE SPACE SHUTTLE SOLID FUEL ROCKETS HANGING AROUND.
HE COULD PROBABLY GO FOR 5000MPH THEN ( HE SPEED TERMINATED WHEN HE PLOUGHS INTO THE BLACKROCK MOUNTAINS LOL
The bodywork, aerodynamics and power are easy, right? All this knowledge exists in aviation engineering, but wheel-speeds of 1,000+mph is uncharted territory.
Also, Mr Gear, you could argue the knowledge doesn't exist in the aviation industrym as for planes the shockwaves at this speed have all the space they need to disipate around the plane. The ground rather gets in the way of this with a car, so not an awful lot is known in all reality. Only computer simulation and what was learned from Thrust
OTHER QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED WILL BE
AT WHAT SPEED WILL HE TAKE OFF ?
WHAAT ALTITUDE WILL HE REACH?
AT WHAT POINT WILL HE DIE ?
ITS A SHAME HE DOESN'T HAVE A COUPLE OF SPARE SPACE SHUTTLE SOLID FUEL ROCKETS HANGING AROUND.
HE COULD PROBABLY GO FOR 5000MPH THEN ( HE SPEED TERMINATED WHEN HE PLOUGHS INTO THE BLACKROCK MOUNTAINS LOL
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