The Thrust SSC project’s director, Richard Noble, the chief aerodynamicist, Ron Ayres and the driver Andy Green are involved in the new development. The new vehicle promises to beat the record by reaching no less than 1,000 mph (1,610 km/h).
Dubbed the Bloodhound SSC, the vehicle now has a full-size model, which has just been revealed at the Farnborough International Airshow (UK).
The replica, which has an aerodynamic design that has been developed over a period of three years, measures 12.8 meters in length, tips the scales at 950 kg and can be divided into three sections.
The model was built by hand by polystyrene block and fiberglass. The team involved has uses six layers of special aerospace paint to finish the vehicle.
The Bloodhound will be powered by a EJ200 jet engine borrowed from an Eurofigther Typhoon and a 400 kg Falcon hybrid rocket that will be placed below the unit. The Bloodhound’s total output reaches the equivalent of 133,150 hp.
The project’s title sponsor is Hampson Industries, with the engineering company set to build the rear fuselage for the vehicle. The team has already perfected engine tests, registering positive results. The engine was placed on a bench and driven to full power, generating the factory maximum thrust of 90 kN.
The team will perfect the first runway tests in late 2011 or early 2012, with the record attempt scheduled to take place at Hakskeen Pan, a dried up lakebed in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
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