Bloodhound LSR - the 1,000mph car project

[Michael88]

But what you can do is make every effort to ensure that nothing so catastrophic does go wrong.

Things can go wrong at much lower speeds, and that's where safety equipment definitely helps.

As far as I know, the North American Eagle record car crashed at ''relatively'' slow speeds because of brake failure, killing the driver. It was literally a jet with wheels on it, and it had no roll cage or safety cell, just the huge jet canopy and an aluminum body.

 

[Moglet]

I reckon they could go even faster if it weren't for the added weight of Andy Green's enormous testicles.

 

[Famine]

I reckon they could go even faster if it weren't for the added weight of Andy Green's enormous testicles.

Have you seen the tailcam video of Thrust SSC's supersonic "twitch"? Holy hell, it went so far off course it might as well have been in Colorado, and this dude just steers it back again sat between two jet engines.


Incidentally, my wife's name is on the car's tailfin.

 

[Leggacy]

is this thing still a car, it’s more like land torpedo! Or maybe a suicide sled?

 

[Moglet]

Have you seen the tailcam video of Thrust SSC's supersonic "twitch"? Holy hell, it went so far off course it might as well have been in Colorado, and this dude just steers it back again sat between two jet engines.

I have, and I'm still trying to get my mind around the distances involved. It looks like a big movement on camera but given the speed it's travelling at it must have, as you said, been a huge distance off course by the time he steered it back. I can't even begin to imagine that happening while you're in control of it.

 

[Dsavage27]

Hold my beer




- koenigsegg

 

[Famine]

Increasing the speeds slightly, testing the deceleration chutes... now at 461mph.



Thrust SSC used to coast along from rest to around 100mph, then throttle up for the max speed run. This thing just goes. And they're not taxing the engine yet - these are literally short runs to measure pressures and test the braking systems. 500mph is up tomorrow, and I think that's the lower bound of the air brakes, so we could see more.

It's already the third fastest British car, and currently as fast as the 1964 LSR (although not officially - it's not making record-eligible runs) while testing the brakes.

 

[Danoff]

Increasing the speeds slightly, testing the deceleration chutes... now at 461mph.



Thrust SSC used to coast along from rest to around 100mph, then throttle up for the max speed run. This thing just goes. And they're not taxing the engine yet - these are literally short runs to measure pressures and test the braking systems. 500mph is up tomorrow, and I think that's the lower bound of the air brakes, so we could see more.

It's already the third fastest British car, and currently as fast as the 1964 LSR (although not officially - it's not making record-eligible runs) while testing the brakes.

Looks like steering inputs get kinda heavy when the chute comes out. While it was accelerating it seemed very stable.

 

[TexRex]

I'm far from an expert, but I'd expect that when the chute catches any air it gets while the nose just slips through. As the chute wafts from one side to the other it's sure to tug on the chassis accordingly, no?

 

[LeGeNd-1]

I’m not sure that there’s much you could do to prevent the death of the driver if something went wrong at 1000mph?

I wonder what the maximum safe speed limit for a fighter jet style ejector seat is. A quick google says 6 pilots have survived being ejected at speeds above 1300 km/h (810 mph). The Bloodhound is aiming faster so survival will be slimmer, but even if there is a glimmer of chance I'd still take it I reckon.

 

[Leggacy]

I wonder what the maximum safe speed limit for a fighter jet style ejector seat is. A quick google says 6 pilots have survived being ejected at speeds above 1300 km/h (810 mph). The Bloodhound is aiming faster so survival will be slimmer, but even if there is a glimmer of chance I'd still take it I reckon.

I’ve posted about that earlier in this thread. Yes you can survive but the air resistance at that speed can rip a body apart, it’s like hitting a brick wall. It would take a special kind of ejection seat to work a ground level, you’d need boost the pilot/driver up to a considerable height for it to work.
I’ve heard that, if you eject from a plane with a Martin baker ejection seat your get a special tie, if you eject a second time your get retirement.

 

[Famine]

Looks like steering inputs get kinda heavy when the chute comes out. While it was accelerating it seemed very stable.

That's probably one of the reasons for the chute only being used at "low" speeds. That and it being ripped to shreds

After Bloodhound exits its full flying mile, it'll simply shut down for the first 200mph of deceleration - air resistance alone will take care of 1000-800mph. Then it'll deploy some air brakes (I've not seen these yet), to slow it down to 500mph, then the chute and, for the last 250mph, disc brakes.


Word is there's a supersonic run profile next week, but not to FIA LSR standards (two directions, <60-minute turnaround) - just a straight run to 750mph+.

This is just testing the models. This absolute insanity isn't even its final form...

 

[Famine]

Just the 491mph today...

 

[XJ40]

Just the 491mph today...

View attachment 862973

It is amazing that they are comfortably beating past records whilst testing, just making sure designs work etc. I have no doubt it's taking a mammoth effort but at the moment it seems like the car is saying "hold my beer"

Brilliant stuff.

 

[daan]

 

[TexRex]

Looks...small? I'd be curious of its dimensions prior to damage, as well as its grading.

 

[AudiMan2011]

501mph cracked yesterday.


A heat sensor issue today at 481mph curtailed plans for chasing 550mph.

 

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

Bloodhound Land Speed Record Project Up For Sale Again

This article was published by Andrew Evans (@Famine) on January 26th, 2021 in the Automotive News category.

 

[Danoff]

Bummer

 

[TheCracker]

It amazes me that even in this climate there isn't the funding available to finish the project, especially as a concept it's pretty much well-proven now. I know the Land Speed Record doesn't capture the public's imagination quite like it used to. But anyone with the funds can probably get 'their project' into the record books and have it there, at the very top, for a long long time. Having 'World Land Speed Record' is one of the more impressive world records too.

 

[Moglet]

Weren't they doing a lot of the runs in South Africa? Where's Elon Musk? That would be pocket change for him. I would say that it not being electric would put him off as he can't use it to promote Tesla but he's also been shooting bloody big rockets into space!

 

[TheCracker]

Weren't they doing a lot of the runs in South Africa? Where's Elon Musk? That would be pocket change for him. I would say that it not being electric would put him off as he can't use it to promote Tesla but he's also been shooting bloody big rockets into space!

I thought that, but LSR is a bit last century for Musk IMO. Amazon on the other hand.... Speedy delivery?

Bezos could have earned the funds quicker than the time it took me to write this post.

 

[Famine]

Where's Elon Musk?

Hopefully as far away from this as possible.

Amazon on the other hand.... Speedy delivery?

Bezos could have earned the funds quicker than the time it took me to write this post.

About an hour - I put it in the article

Lewis Hamilton would earn this from salary alone in just under three months. A top Premier League footballer could earn this - again, from salary alone - in about five months; Liverpool pays its staff this much every two weeks. It's slightly less than the price of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, or a Eurocopter EC155 helicopter, or a mile of Ol' Musky's dumbass tunnels.

 

[ralph89]

Is this thing starbucks drive thru approved?

 

[Darla Starch]

Is this thing starbucks drive thru approved?

Turning circle is a bit sus, so make of that what you will.

 

[Eggstor]

I thought that, but LSR is a bit last century for Musk IMO. Amazon on the other hand.... Speedy delivery?

Bezos could have earned the funds quicker than the time it took me to write this post.

About an hour - I put it in the article

Lewis Hamilton would earn this from salary alone in just under three months. A top Premier League footballer could earn this - again, from salary alone - in about five months; Liverpool pays its staff this much every two weeks. It's slightly less than the price of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, or a Eurocopter EC155 helicopter, or a mile of Ol' Musky's dumbass tunnels.

As long as a certain Amazon employee whose name rhymes with Hichard Rammond is kept far away from this lest he crashes yet another high-performance vehicle, I'd be all for Bezos buying this project.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

It's a shame to see this project have so many start-stops throughout its life. We're so close now, just finish it! If they can get the record this will likely be the last LSR attempt and its yours forever. There are so many millionaires buying hypercars everyday, why can't one of them just step up? Or any of those youtube influencers...

I think they should just set up a kickstarter/patreon page, and try to get Red Bull & Top Gear backing.

 

[Joey D]

Looks like it might be coming back.

Plan to revive Bloodhound UK land speed race car

The UK project to set a new land speed record will try to get back on the road with a new driver.

www.bbc.com