A render of what Bloodhound SSC will look like in South Africa
7 more images in gallery
Bloodhound SSC, the British-built vehicle that is eventually set to become the first car to break 1,000mph (1,600km/h), has again delayed its record-breaking attempt, this time until at least summer 2016.
Softening the blow somewhat, the Bloodhound SSC team also announced the date of the car's first public outing: November 17 this year, at Newquay Aerohub in Cornwall. The car will do a trial run, hitting speeds of "just" 200mph (320km/h). Assuming the car actually works, it will be fitted with airbrakes and winglets, and then it'll be ready for high-speed testing in South Africa in 2016.
A spokesperson for Bloodhound SSC told us via e-mail that the delay is actually due to a certain component performing "even better than expected." Specifically, the HTP (high-text peroxide) pump is actually too efficient at pushing fuel into the rocket engine, which in turn "put too much load on a particular bearing." Andy Green's diary from May 1 contains some more details about the failure. For more details on Bloodhound SSC in general, read our in-depth feature about the vehicle.
Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments
No comments:
Post a Comment