Tuesday 20th July 2010

Video: Bloodhound In 1000mph Record Run Sim

New teaser vid provides taster of next British LSR attempt

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World's fastest man, and Bloodhound

Wing Commander Andy Green gave PH a guided tour of a full scale mock-up of his Bloodhound Land Speed Record Car at the Farnborough Air Show yesterday - the first time a 1:1 scale show car has appeared in public.

The simple-looking shape is predictably the result of some pretty complex computational fluid dynamics, which the team reckons at times required more computer power than the Met Office employs to forecast the weather. (And we thought they were still using seaweed. Ed.)

The Bloodhound project's target is to crack the 1,000mph barrier, so we were surprised to learn that the car's maximum design speed is 1,050mph, which doesn't appear to leave much margin or 'wriggle room'.

The latest mock-up is now on display

However, with top-flight brains contributing to the project from around the British scientific community, and the supremely rigorous approach to designing and engineering that the project demands, you won't be surprised to hear we left Farnborough yesterday with the distinct impression these guys know what they're doing!

While the show car is made of polystyrene blocks, the real thing will employ a mixture of racing car and aviation-style technologies. The racing car bit is the carbon fibre 'monocoque' structure at the front end, containing the driver, fuel tank and supporting the front wheel assemblies. The aviation bit is a rear fuselage built from aluminium that will house the main jet engine and the rocket boosters.

There's loads more fascinating technical and background info available on the Bloodhound website, but meanwhile Wing Commander Green is appealing to PHers to show their support by donating to the project in person.

Car is jet-propelled and rocket-assisted

For a meagre £10 (or more if you like!) you can get your own name on the actual record car's tail fin - apparently big enough to read close-up - and with a certificate to prove it. That's right, he only wants a tenner, so what are you waiting for?

[leon9191]

Your name on the 1st car to crack 1000mph would be pretty cool like.

[adz13091982]

i'm betting Shelby will come up with a new version of the SSC next week that's quicker

[anonymous-user]

Misleading thread title, I got all excited then

[Conian]

i'm in for a tenner!

[Killer2005]

Nigh on 700 mph and the helicopter keeps up

I am aware that this is merely an interpretation of what could happen

[tim milne]

Intel's "Our Cars Are Not Like Your Cars" is a little worrying–does that mean it's going to just stop working for no reason?

[ceebmoj]

Killer2005 said:

Nigh on 700 mph and the helicopter keeps up

I am aware that this is merely an interpretation of what could happen

glad i'm not the only person that thought that

[Spiritual_Beggar]

MSTRBKR said:

Misleading thread title, I got all excited then

Indeed!

The dog tracks have got a bit quicker since I last went obviously!

[anonymous-user]

Spiritual_Beggar said:

MSTRBKR said:

Misleading thread title, I got all excited then

Indeed!

The dog tracks have got a bit quicker since I last went obviously!

Not what I was thinking of but very good. I can't be the only one that saw the thread title and thought the car had made a successful 1000mph run?

Edit for shpeeling.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Tuesday 20th July 13:18

[Lawrence5]

They have a facebook page to follow..... really interesting project

[SirRalph]

Any vehicle with an 800 bhp V12 engine fitted just to power the fuel pumps and hydraulics gets my vote!

[Chris-R]

MSTRBKR said:

Spiritual_Beggar said:

MSTRBKR said:

Misleading thread title, I got all excited then

Indeed!

The dog tracks have got a bit quicker since I last went obviously!

Not what I was thinking of but very good. I can't be the only one that saw the thread title and thought the car had made a successful 1000mph run?

Edit for shpeeling.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Tuesday 20th July 13:18

That's why we have sub-heads on the home page

[Snoggledog]

Hope they're going to use a chunkier chip than an Intel Atom.

[Chris-R]

Chris-R said:

MSTRBKR said:

Spiritual_Beggar said:

MSTRBKR said:

Misleading thread title, I got all excited then

Indeed!

The dog tracks have got a bit quicker since I last went obviously!

Not what I was thinking of but very good. I can't be the only one that saw the thread title and thought the car had made a successful 1000mph run?

Edit for shpeeling.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Tuesday 20th July 13:18

That's why we have sub-heads on the home page

Although having said that, we've now clarified it...

[rhinochopig]

I really don't have a good feeling about this attempt. There was very little margin in the previous one, and I fear they are perhaps pushing their luck with this attempt.

Fingers crossed I'm totally wrong and it's a complete success. Perhaps I'm just getting old and more risk averse.

[RobboC]

I'm involved in this by proxy, staggering the amount of engineering going into it.

A superleague V12 engine is used just to act as a fuel pump!

[mgv8]

rhinochopig said:

I really don't have a good feeling about this attempt. There was very little margin in the previous one, and I fear they are perhaps pushing their luck with this attempt.

Fingers crossed I'm totally wrong and it's a complete success. Perhaps I'm just getting old and more risk averse.

The work going into the project takes the next step. So there is less risk due to a lot more work. Its worth going to the site and looking at it all.

[crackeddash]

If you want to learn more about this car and the record attempt I understand Richard Noble will be giving talks and showing videos at the TVR Big Southern Gathering at Shuttleworth on the 14th August.I believe the mock up of the car thats at Farnborough will also be there. More info on www.tvrcc-cambs.co.uk.

[crackeddash]

oops! www.tvrcc-cambs.co.uk

[Munter]

rhinochopig said:

I really don't have a good feeling about this attempt. There was very little margin in the previous one, and I fear they are perhaps pushing their luck with this attempt.

Fingers crossed I'm totally wrong and it's a complete success. Perhaps I'm just getting old and more risk averse.

I'm concerned. But I'm also surprised just how clever engineers are when you throw them a problem like a 1000mph car.

You will not catch me driving it. But I'm sure Mr Green is not climbing into something he doesn't trust either.