BLOODHOUND SSC will today make its first ever public run at Cornwall Airport Newquay
20 years since Thrust SSC set the current World Land Speed Record
The world’s most advanced straight-line racing car, BLOODHOUND SSC, will today make its first public runs at Cornwall Airport Newquay, aiming to hit a peak speed of 200mph. The tests, which are taking place 20 years after driver Wing Commander Andy Green set the current World Land Speed Record of 763.035mph, will be streamed live around the world.
More than 3,000 spectators, including members of the BLOODHOUND’s 1K supporters club, are expected to gather at Newquay to watch the BLOODHOUND team conduct two runs along the 9,000ft (2.7km) runway. Power will be provided by a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine, normally found in a Eurofighter Typhoon, which produces a peak thrust of 20,000lbs (90 kilonewtons), equivalent to 54,000bhp, or the combined output of 360 family cars.
The runway trials mark the culmination of a month of testing which has helped prove the Car’s steering, brakes, suspension, data systems and other functions, as well as the integration of the EJ200 jet engine. The tests are also providing Andy Green with his first opportunity to drive BLOODHOUND SSC, and allowing the Team to develop its operating procedures, safety protocols and practice radio communications.
On the runway, the Car is using 84cm diameter wheels shod with pneumatic tyres, originally from an English Electric Lightning fighter. Specially reconditioned by Dunlop, these have around one-third of the grip of regular car tyres. As the runway wheels are slightly thicker than their desert equivalents, some sections of the carbon fibre bodywork will not be fitted to the Car.
Prior to the public runs, trials were initially carried out with the Car chained to the ground, so the Team could check the performance of the jet, fuel and electrical systems. These static ‘tie-down’ experiments were extremely successful, with the EJ200 engine achieving re-heat despite the fact that the jet intake is designed to work best in air travelling at supersonic speeds of 850mph and above.
A series of Dynamic Tests followed, with the engineers learning more about the Car’s performance and able to compare computer models with real data for the first time. Further tests were conducted earlier this week with BLOODHOUND’s tail fin in place, with the Team paying close attention to the Car’s behaviour in cross-winds.
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For more information, interviews, imagery and videos
The latest imagery and videos can be accessed at http://bit.ly/Newquay2017
Contact: Jules Tipler [email protected]/ +44 (0) 7811 166 796
Notes to editors
The BLOODHOUND Project is an international education initiative focussed around a 1,000mph (1,609km/h) World Land Speed Record. The primary aim is to inspire the next generation of scientist and engineers by showcasing STEM subjects (science, technology engineering and mathematics) in the most exciting way possible.
BLOODHOUND SSC is a combination of fast jet, F1 car and spaceship. The Project is followed in over 220 countries and territories.
At full speed, BLOODHOUND SSC will cover a mile (1.6km) in 3.6 seconds – that’s 4.5 football pitches laid end to end, per second, or 300m in the blink of an eye.
The World Land Speed Record of 763mph (1,228km/h) is held by Thrust SSC, a UK team led by BLOODHOUND’s Project Director Richard Noble and driven by Andy Green.
The Project engaged with over 130,000 students in the UK alone in 2016 and aims to deliver BLOODHOUND educational events to 3.5 million students around the world.
65% of students engaged by the BLOODHOUND Education Programme would now consider engineering or science as a vocation (sample size: 1,804).
Applications to study engineering at university have increased as a result of Project BLOODHOUND (sources: University of West of England; University of Swansea).
