Shipshape takes a look at the Bristol-built supercar set to shatter the land speed record
Progress continues at, er, breakneck speed on the Bloodhound SSC, a Bristol-built supersonic car aiming to shatter the current land speed record. The pencil-shaped jet- and rocket-fuelled car, being built at the University of the West of England and on the Harbourside next to the ss Great Britain, aims to reach around 1,000Â miles per hour, well above the current 763 mph record. The 6.5 tonne car will be powered by a Eurofighter jet engine positioned above a 400kg rocket: the plan is to have it ready for UK runway trials in 2012, and for a world record attempt late next year or early in 2013. Bristol was chosen as the build site from a pool of cities across the UK, in large part thanks to its two universities and world-renowned aerospace engineering companies.
It’s not just about building an eye-wateringly fast car, though: the project also aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. Thousands of schools have downloaded the diagrams and, unusually for a pioneering engineering project, the whole construction process is being made public. “If you had a spare jet, rocket and F1 engine you could, in theory, use these drawings to build your own Bloodhound at home,” reflects Mark Chapman, Bloodhound chief engineer. “But much as we enjoy a good race, we wouldn’t recommend it. Things get pretty hairy when you travel faster than a bullet!”
More: bloodhoundssc.com