How A Supersonic Car Will Outrace Speeding Bullets

The land speed record currently stands at a blistering 763 mph. That milestone was achieved by the Thrust SuperSonic Car. Some of the Bloodhound Team worked on the Thrust car as well. But if chief engineer Mark Chapman of the aerospace company Hampson Industries in the UK has his way, that 1997 speed record will be lost in the dust left behind by an incredible super car: the Bloodhound SSC (supersonic car). The Bloodhound SSC is designed to reach 1,000 mph. For a ground vehicle, that’s like Starfleet’s Warp 10. If the sleek, bullet-shaped car achieves that amazing speed-the fastest land speed by far-it will be able to outrace bullets fired from Magnum pistols. Move over Superman. Sniffing out a new land speed record with the Bloodhound won’t be an easy feat. Far from it. Pioneers Craig Breedlove of ‘Spirit of America’ fame worked for years to achieve it. So did Art Arfons with his beloved speed demon the ‘Green Monster’ series of incredible jet cars. The culmination of three years of aerodynamic blood, sweat and tears, the rear of the car is expected to be completed early in 2011. Test runs of the vehicle are tentatively scheduled for the end of 2011 or early in 2012. The Fantastic Four While Mark Chapman works his engineering marvels-using every speed trick he can crank out from his computer-a trio of heroes completes the fearsome foursome. Wing Commander Andy Green will pilot the land vehicle and do his best to keep it pointed straight and level on the ground as it sears its way across the South African landscape. A dried lake bed, Haskeen Pan, located in the northern cape of South Africa has been targeted for the speed attempt. project director Richard Noble and chief aerodynamicist Ron Ayres make up the remainder of the senior team members. Ground effects and the need for speed One of the most critical aspects the aerodynamic engineering team must overcome is ground effects. As a car attains speed a cushion of air develops under the vehicle. The air becomes compressed and tends to push the vehicle away from the ground forcing it to go airborne. The greater the speed, the more powerful the ground effect and the more dangerous it becomes. To overcome ground effects, race cars like those in Gran Prix events, the Indy Speedway, and even NASCAR vehicles, use spoilers to force air on the front and back of the vehicle to push downwards against the air underneath pushing upwards. It’s a fluid dynamics problem experienced by vehicles traveling even at relatively modest speeds Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society