Ready, Steady, Gone! Introducing Bloodhound - the 1,000mph Vehicle

Forget the lighting fast Formula One racers invented by Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren and Red Bull.  A British team is pioneering a new breed of vehicle and it’s rumoured to be capable of hitting speeds of up to 1000mph. Powered by a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine hosting a genuine rocket, the car will attempt to smash the current world land speed record. The machine has been aptly named Bloodhound SSC and will make its debut track appearance on South Africa’s Hakskeen Pan in 2016.

Current world land-speed record holder Andy Green is the project’s Wing Commander. As well as hitting never before reached speeds Green also hopes that the team’s efforts will spark the nation to take an interest in the fascinating world of science and engineering.

“Besides creating the world’s fastest car and breaking the 1000 mph barrier, Bloodhound SSC’s core aim is to make world’s largest engineering experience to the world’s largest audience,” says Andy Green.

Engineering excellence

The car is being developed in the purpose built Bloodhound Technical Centre where a team of engineers have created custom chassis, bodywork and suspension. As well as an imposing exterior the Bloodhound SSC hides a myriad of supercharged internal features, including electrical power, hydraulic power, electronics, computers, sensors and other state-of-the-art speed demon technologies. The high profile construction and manufacturing process has called for some serious talent, with RAF technicians from 71 Squadron even lending their expertise to the project.

A supercharged set of wheels

So what will allow the car to hit its top speed of 1000mph? When the rocket is set off the car will create a fierce supersonic dust storm that will engulf the cockpit. To ensure the driver comes out in one piece the car’s underbelly will be panelled in creased titanium. The car will also boast what’s been hailed as the world’s most powerful tailfin that will give the car incredible aero dynamism. For the engine itself Bloodhound SSC engineers will source not one but three apparatus! The first is a Typhoon EJ200, celebrated as the world’s best military jet engine. The second is a 5.0 litre V8 engine capable of producing 550 bhp. This was inspired by the F-type R, Jaguar’s flagship model engine. Both will be augmented with a trio of Nammo rockets that will create 135,000 bhp of trust.

Green isn’t the only one with a vision of taking science and engineering to the masses. Conferences play an important role in promoting the disciplines, with articles such as ‘63rd ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics held in St. Louis from 31st May to 4th June, 2015 at the America’s Center, St. Louis, Missouri USA’ looking at one of the best events in the business.

Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Carl Spencer