[X] My Assistant

[jamescanvin]

Looks like Richard Noble and Andy Green are back and planning to break 1000mph!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7685049.stm

Known as Bloodhound, the new car will be powered by a rocket bolted to a Typhoon-Eurofighter jet engine.

A rocket AND a jet engine!

[CosmicRocker]

I was really excited to see the sound barrier broken on land, but this is insane. ...>1000 mph? I think I can see the challenge. It is an engineering challenge. The science has mostly been done. Much of the technology exists. But I'd guess this is going to be very difficult to pull off.

Where on Earth can such a thing even be attempted without closing down a major highway? Would they even attempt this on the Bonneville salt flats, Black Rock, or some other such natural surface?

I see that the team has an interesting page discussing the surface they would like to race on. I have one, perhaps naive question to ask. Is there not a mostly flawless, man made surface anywhere on this planet that could be used to simplify this challenge? Or, is it in the rules that the driving surface must be natural?

[djellison]

a major highway?

There isn't anywhere manmade, and big enough. You need something 20 miles long really, and 4, 5, 6 miles wide.

Black Rock is out, I've heard, as it has deteriorated over the past 10 years. Bonneville is so rarely fit for VERY high records (Thrust 2 just couldn't do it's thing there in the '80s.)

Lake Gairdner might offer something in Australia if it is dry. Lake Eyre is, frankly, cursed after the Bluebird attempt of the '60s. El Mirage isn't big enough. Bolivia might have somewhere. Finding a place is going to be a major part of the challenge.

Doug