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Boom! The Bloodhound SSC - Britain's 1,000mph jet car - is here!
That ‘Boom!' was, of course, the sound of the Bloodhound breaking the sound barrier, some 232mph before hitting its top speed. Not that it has actually reached that top speed yet, or indeed broken the sound barrier. Or moved at any great speed whatsoever. But it will.
This weekend, at the Farnborough air show, the Bloodhound team showed off a 13-metre long, full-scale model of their amazing land speed record car.
Having secured sponsorship from Hampson Industries, a British engineering firm which will build the rear of the car, the team was also able to announce a timeline for its assault on the existing record of 763mph, set by ThrustSSC in 1997.
"We now have a route to manufacture for the whole car," chief engineer Mark Chapman told the BBC. "We would hope to be able to shake down the vehicle on a runway in the UK either at the end of 2011 or at the beginning of 2012."
If those tests are successful, Bloodhound will then head to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa to chase the land speed record.
Powered by a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine with Falcon hybrid rocket below, the Bloodhound develops the equivalent of 133,150bhp. Developed by many of the team behind ThrustSSC - including project director Richard Noble and chief aerodynamicist Ron Ayres - it will be driven by wing commander and all-round TopGear legend Andy Green.
We'll be keeping a close eye on the Bloodhound gang as they develop their astonishing car. Best of luck, gents - we're right behind you. Boom!
Sam Philip
Open Car Bar
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Your-Mother commented on this article
at 03:49 pm on 19 July 2010
1st! yey, hope they make 100mph
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Your-Mother commented on this article
at 03:49 pm on 19 July 2010
1st! yey, hope they make 1000mph
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Elementry commented on this article
at 04:14 pm on 19 July 2010
What a way to celebrate our country's top engineers and mathematicians and to get young people inspired into creating cutting edge technology, instead of being a nation of Heat Magazine, estate agents and b(w)ankers. I wish my brain worked in that mathematical way so that I can be a part of the project. Well done chaps. Rule Britannia.
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Elementry commented on this article
at 04:16 pm on 19 July 2010
What a way to celebrate our country's top engineers and mathematicians and to get young people inspired into creating cutting edge technology, instead of being a nation of Heat Magazine, estate agents and b(w)ankers. I wish my brain worked in that mathematical way so that I can be a part of the project. Well done chaps. Rule Britannia.
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Elementry commented on this article
at 04:16 pm on 19 July 2010
What a way to celebrate our country's top engineers and mathematicians and to get young people inspired into creating cutting edge technology, instead of being a nation of Heat Magazine, estate agents and b(w)ankers. I wish my brain worked in that mathematical way so that I can be a part of the project. Well done chaps. Rule Britannia.
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