Wanted: Driver for rocket-powered Bloodhound Land Speed Record car
- Reference: 1699455610
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/11/08/wanted_driver_for_bloodhound_land/
- Source link:
The project has moved in stops and starts over the years and seemed to be pretty much dead as the world emerged from repeated pandemic-induced lockdowns. In January 2021, it looked to be all over, as the latest rescuer of the project, Ian Warhurst, announced that the car was up for sale. However, Stuart Edmondson took up the reins in May 2021, and here we are again - looking for [1]funding . And a driver.
The original driver was Andy Green, who took Thrust SSC to 763mph (1,227kph) in 1997. While Green was initially involved in the Bloodhound project, he has stepped back, which means the driving seat is available to anyone with the skills, cash, and bravery - to strap themselves into what is effectively an EJ200 jet engine on wheels with a rocket booster attached.
Should funding materialize to complete the build?
The team reckons approximately £12 million ($14.7 million) is needed to get the car – currently residing in a museum in Coventry, England – into a state where it could set a new land speed record. Green will still be on hand to mentor the new driver.
[2]One careful driver: Make room in the garage... Bloodhound jet-powered car is up for sale
[3]German scientists, Black Knights and the birthplace of British rocketry
[4]Bloodhound Super-Sonic-Car lacks Super-Sonic-Cashflow
[5]It is 20 years since the last commercial flight of Concorde
That said, despite the call for sponsorship, and for a driver able to bring funding - and a deep well of courage - the project is still for sale. However, the thought of another opportunity for the vehicle to thunder along its South Africa track is an enticing one.
The team is taking a replica of the car on a tour of six locations in the UK, starting today, to drum up interest. The roadshow will involve a route through central London on Saturday morning before later hitting the M25 highway. You can make your own joke about what sort of land speed record might be set on the orbital motorway dubbed by musician Chris Rea as "The Road To Hell."
[6]
The need for funding remains a hallmark of the project, but it would be churlish not to wish the best of luck to those behind the car. Sadly, there is little prospect of Team Vulture getting behind the wheel any time soon. ®
Get our [7]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.bloodhoundlsr.com/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/26/bloodhound_for_sale/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/01/27/birthplace_of_british_rocketry/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/15/bloodhound_ssc/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/24/20_years_concorde/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZUu@tIwSCakGrARyV4UJlAAAANQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Well if you want the car to finish last...
Good idea, but he could still crash going straight with no one else around, he's that good
I suppose that would also rule out Romain Grosjean then....
Obligatory
Richard Hammond need not apply.
On a related thought better keep Captain Slow away from it too.
little prospect of Team Vulture getting behind the wheel
Now you know Lester would have been up for it!
The need for funding remains a hallmark of the project, but it would be churlish not to wish the best of luck to those behind the car.
It's not just this project, it's the hallmark of the LSR as a whole, it's simply gotten too rich for anyone .
Back in the 60s the LSR was traded often several times a year until 1970 when Blue Flame held the record for almost 13 years. It was followed by Thrust2 which held it for almost 14, then by ThrustSSC which has now held it for 26 years and counting.[1] That's a long time. If I compare it to my own life I was in the first year of Uni when ThrustSSC took the record. I wasn't even in primary school when Thrust2 did.
It's simply been cranked up that high now that any attampt to match yet alone beat it is a massive undertaking, in terms of technology and engineering, funding, business and project management. There have been many attempts to take it on. All have failed. Mostly down to funding but also the death of Jessi Combs and possibly others, this is not a casual pleasure drive after all.
Going forward it'll probably end up purely as a vanity project for the likes of Elon Musk and Arab oil sheiks. It's very difficult to identify any practical applications or payback for anything developed.
[1] Yes I'm aware that technically the record belongs to the driver and not the car, but it's not what people remember.
Is it that different to how aircraft development went in terms of costs?
Up to maybe 1930 or so, anyone with an aptitude for wood and/or metalworking could go about constructing an aircraft. Look at the long list of famous aero engineers of the day that built their own gliders as teenagers. By 1950 with more esoteric construction, the more likely it was that only state-level sponsorship could afford to build a plane. Regulation throws up large barriers too. Build your own plane today and attempt to fly it without an awful lot of certification and you will have a lawsuit the size of the empire state building on your desk.
LSR is an interesting flag waving project and enormous technical challenge with. The only output is PR for engineering and marketing; which isn't a bad thing, but good luck finding wealthy firms with the pockets and appetite to risk their name on the side of something that could crash and burn.
The ability to have the fastest car in the deck of top trumps needs to sell an awful lot of top trumps to break even.
I think part of what has stalled it for so long was the need for a step jump in the record to attract the publicity and hence sponsorship.
Richard Noble's record in Thrust 2 held until the technology advanced enough to make an attempt at going supersonic. After that milestone was reached everything went very quiet until 1000mph became possible when we saw more than one team going for it.
You're right though, it's a lot of money for little return.
Throwing my hat into the ring
I've got enough speeding tickets to give me the experience *and* I've done a speed awareness course. Now just got to get some funding my selling a few NFTs of my record attempt and I'm in!
Maybe we should tell Lance Stroll - noone else to have to overtake, no requirement for taking corners...