Editor’s comment

23 March 2015  

What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven? Now take that speed, which hopefully was achieved on a track, and multiply it by an exponential amount. Can you imagine driving at 1,000mph? Andy Green will be doing just that next year in Bloodhound SSC

In 1997, Andy became the first man to break the sound barrier in a car when Thrust SSC drove at 763mph. The project was masterminded by Richard Noble, himself a world record holder when he took Thrust II to 633mph in 1983. Richard is now behind the push to not just break the land speed record but take a car over 1,000mph for the first time.

The actual car is currently being built at a technical centre in Bristol ready for a test run at Newquay airport, where the team hope to get it up to 200mph on the runway. Then it will be shipped to South Africa ready for its first attempt at the record in September. There the aim is to break 800mph. Once achieved, the car will be flown back, amended where needed and taken out to South Africa again in September 2016 ready for its 1,000mph run. The work needed to engineer specific parts is incredible, with items needing to be designed to cope with massive stresses never before seen on a car. Bloodhound also features three engines, a jet, a rocket and a 550bhp Jaguar V8 engine just to pump the rocket fuel.

Bloodhound has always been seen first and foremost as an education project, designed to inspire future generations to take up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by showcasing these subjects in the most exciting way possible. The education program covers all phases of education from primary through to secondary and further education. Any school in the world can register their details on the Bloodhound SSC website and download the free curriculum resource materials. The project has already seen immense interest in this sense with design and engineering competitions taking place at selected events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Personally, I got swept along by the story of Thrust SSC having seen it first on Newsround. I then saw the model car at the 1996 UK Motor Show and followed with interest. This time, the prospect of 1,000mph has drawn me in again. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Bloodhound and hope you will be too.