The Bloodhound SSC project team have recently shown a lifesize version of the car at the Farnborough airshow 2010 – and now they’ve released an animation video showing us more details of the potential record breaker due for launch in 2012.
Fitted with the Eurofighter Typhoon engine, the Bloodhound is designed to snatch the previous landspeed record held by the Thrust SSC. Where the Thrust hit 763mph, the Bloodhound team are aiming for a heady 1000mph. The EJ200 engine, which has now passed extensive testing, will be used to power the SSC from 0-300mph before Europe’s largest hybrid rocket ever designed kicks in to take it supersonic.
Sounds fast! Watch it in the video player below
Hakskeepan in South Africa is the chosen location for launch because it’s one of the few spaces on Earth big and empty enough for a 1000mph land speed record attempt. There is a 16km designated straight ‘track’ with a mile of over-run at either end and 500m of safety area on either side.
Although not due to take place until 2012, the preparation to clear the 24,000,000sq m area, which is the equivalent of 4800 football pitches, starts now. It will take on average a workforce of 300-400 people working five days a week about two months to clear the area of stones and other obstructions.
Have a go at driving the Bloodhound
Can you keep a 1000mph car straight, while controlling the jet and rocket power, accelerating at the right rate and time, not to mention coping with the weather and surface changes you could incur along the way?
For those hiding their inner pilot, you can actually experience on a Bloodhound simulator what it would be like to drive the 1000mph car as it will be appearing at varying events over the summer. Click here for a list of these.
Think it will be easy? Check out these instructions:
• Release the brakes (left foot pedal)
• Accelerate the jet engine (right foot pedal), following the speed cue on the gauge to avoid ‘surging’ (overloading) the engine
• Keep the car straight with the steering wheel
• Light up the rocket to idle (left trigger on the steering wheel) at the first rocket cue
• Increase the rocket to full power (right trigger on the steering wheel) at the second rocket cue
• Keep steering all the way to the end of the measured mile!
• Throttle back (right pedal) and shut down the rocket (release the triggers)
• Wait for the airbrake cue and deploy the airbrake (first button on the left of the steering wheel), or
• If you miss the airbrake cue, then deploy one of the brake chutes (the other two buttons on the left of the steering wheel) at the chute cue
• Keep steering
• Look ahead to see the recovery crew
• Wheel brakes below 200 mph (left pedal) to stop the car next to them
• Jump out and celebrate a successful run. Simple!
Oh and there are also the 31 controls to keep an eye on too, see picture top right and click here for a full detailed description.
Or just sit back and enjoy the video.