INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Bloodhound to get its first sniff of real speed in October
The Bloodhound land speed record attempt team have announced the first significant test date
The team behind the Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) has announced that it will be driven for the first time in the UK this October, 20 years after the current land speed record was set. Wing Commander Andy Green steered Thrust SSC to victory on October 15 1997 and he will be at the wheel of Bloodhound SSC as it is put through its first real paces. Runway trials will mark the culmination of a month of tests to prove the car’s steering, brakes, suspension, data systems and so on, as well as the EJ200 jet engine, sourced from a Eurofighter Typhoon. The first main test will see the vehicle driven along a 2.7km runway at speeds of up to 322km/h. Before it moves under its own power, it will first undergo several days of static "tie-down" tests. The jet engine will be run up, with the car chained to the ground, so that the performance of the car’s bespoke air intake, fuel and electrical systems can be checked. All being well, dynamic testing will follow. Of primary interest is the low-spee...
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