Land-speed record contender the Bloodhound SSC made its second set of public runs at Cornwall Airport in Newquay in the UK on October 29, attaining speeds of over 200mph. As with the previous runs carried out a couple of days before, driver Andy Green made two runs down the runway in the vehicle powered by a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine.
During the previous outing the car made two runs along the 9,000ft (2.7km) runway, accelerating at a rate of 1.5g and reaching 210mph from a standing start in just eight seconds, after which Richard Noble, project director, added, “These trials at Newquay take us one step closer to setting the next world land speed record.”
After the runs on Saturday, Green said, “The car is performing like a dream and I’m really enjoying driving it after the years of development. I hope it’s as exciting to watch as it is to drive!”
Visitors were able to see the car close up, both before and after the runs, and also enjoy a wide range of entertainment on the live stage, and in the interactive Education and Sponsors’ zones. They could also explore inside the Bloodhound Mission Control unit.
The Bloodhound SSC vehicle is about 13.4m long and weighs 7.5 tonnes. It has a mix of car and aircraft technology, with the front section being a carbon-fiber monocoque (like a racing car) and the back portion comprising a metallic framework and panels (like an aircraft).
The engines consist of a Eurojet EJ200 jet engine as used in these public demonstrations, a Nammo rocket/rocket cluster providing the thrust, plus a Jaguar Supercharged V8 engine to act as auxiliary power unit to drive the rocket oxidizer pump.
The car is fitted with runway wheels, which were originally from an English Electric Lightning fighter and have been specially reconditioned by Dunlop. The wheels have pneumatic tires, with around one-third of the grip of regular car tires.
To watch footage of the test runs, click here.
November 2, 2017
