Bloodhound SSC sets date for first public run ahead of speed record attempt
Rocket-powered vehicle aims to reach 200mph at first public test, which will take place in Newquay on October 26
Bloodhound SSC is set to make its public debut ahead of its attempt to break the land speed record.
The team will attempt to hit 200mph in the pencil-shaped supersonic vehicle on the 1.7-mile runway at Cornwall Airport in Newquay on October 26 this year, 20 years after the current record of 763.035mph was set.
The runway trials, which will take place over three days between October 26 and 30, mark the first time the vehicle has run under its own power. Before the event, it will undergo static testing in a controlled environment.
Richard Noble, project director, said, “The runway trials at Cornwall Airport Newquay will be the biggest milestone in the history of the project so far.
“They will provide important data on the performance of the car and give us a first opportunity to rehearse the procedures we’ll use when we go record breaking.”
Of particular interest is how the jet engine will cope at low speeds, because it has been designed to work best at speeds above 800mph. Engineers want to figure out how soon they can ramp up to full power without causing any damage.
If all goes to plan, Bloodhound SSC will be shipped to South Africa next year. The official land speed record run will take place on the Hakskeen Pan, which is a mud and salt pan in the Kalahari Desert in the north of the country.
The British team is targeting 1,050mph.
