The Bloodhound LSR Is Embarking on Its First Test Since the Project Was Saved

Last year, the Bloodhound SSC effort, which aims to build the first car to exceed 1000 mph, was saved from administration by a British entrepreneur. The project was renamed Bloodhound LSR (for Land Speed Record), and now, the car and team are heading to South African desert to push the car past the 500-mph mark for the first time.

Testing is set to begin in mid-October, with Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green at the wheel, and will continue in November. Thirteen runs are planned, each 50 mph faster than the next, with a target of hitting over 500 mph. That’s a hell of a lot faster than the Bloodhound’s first test, a 200-mph run on a British runway undertaken in October, 2017.

This test poses a unique challenge. The pneumatic tires used for the 2017 test will be replaced by solid aluminum discs, which eliminate the possibility of a blowout, but these tires won’t provide much grip. In fact, the Bloodhound team said in a press release that between 300 and 500 mph “[t]he grip from the wheels will fade faster than the aerodynamic forces build up, so this is likely to be the point where the car is at its least stable.”

Andy Green is a braver man than I, which is what you’d expect from the only person to go supersonic without leaving the ground.

For this test, the Bloodhound will be powered by a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine, which can provide nearly 10 tons of thrust. When the Bloodhound returns to South Africa in 2021 or 2022 to chase the 1000-mph mark, the EJ200 will be joined by a rocket propellant system.

Bloodhound is using this test to collect data on the car and prep for the eventual record run. For more insight on what’s about to happen, it’s worth reading this blog post from Green.

Source: Road and Track