Having condensed 30 people-years of research and design into a mere 36 months, the Bloodhound Project team today announced they have started constructing the ultimate landspeed record machine.
The Bloodhound Project is an international education initiative focused around a 1,000mph Land Speed Record attempt. As the event is for unlimited designs the Bloodhound team looks for particular expertise, vision and commitment from those organisations helping to build this unique vehicle.
Hampson Industries plc, Cosworth and Advanced Composites Group (ACG) have just these qualities and thanks to their considerable support 90% of Bloodhound SSC’s primary structure is now in the manufacturing stage.
With 64 years experience supplying precision fuselages for the worlds leading aerospace organisations, Hampson has unrivalled expertise with complex aluminium, steel and titanium structures. However, creating this supersonic prototype will test even their skills to the full.
The steel-lattice rear chassis not only has to contain 47,000lbs of combined thrust (equivalent to 133,000 hp) from the car’s Eurojet EJ200 jet and Falcon Project hybrid rocket, it must also cope with 30 tonne suspension loadings, air pressures on the bodywork of up to 13 tonnes per square metre and substantial additional loads generated by the tail fin, air brakes and parachutes.
Bloodhound ’s chief engineer Mark Chapman handed over the first technical drawings to Hampson three days ago so work fabricating the rear chassis can begin this week.
Advanced Composite Group (ACG) is creating the front section of the car for Q1 2012. With a 30-year pedigree acquired in the demanding markets of Formula One, ocean-going racing yachts and aerospace, ACG is ideally positioned to deliver the composite design and manufacturing expertise required to build this astonishing vehicle.
Using ACG’s high performance ‘prepreg’ materials, the Group’s engineering division, Advanced Composites Engineering (ACE), will manufacture the entire front section of the car. It will also construct the master models and tooling from which critical elements of the car’s bodywork and structural components, such as the monocoque and nose, will be produced. The air intake and rear wheel fairings, both areas vital to the aerodynamic performance of the car and subject to extreme stress loadings, will likewise be made by ACE.
Mark Chapman said, “It was clear very early on that we could build a strong and creative partnership with the ACG team. We valued their input from the start when they helped us optimise our designs to make best use of composite’s capabilities. We’re looking forward to working with them closely in the coming months as we move beyond the design phase and start to build”.
Another key member of the BLOODHOUND SSC technical team is the world-renowned electronics, Formula One and aerospace company, Cosworth.
The Northamptonshire-based team is supplying Bloodhound with vital data logging and telemetry systems, as well as their state-of-the-art CA2010 F1 engine. This will drive the Falcon rocket oxidiser pump via a Bloodhound-designed gearbox featuring gears by Xtrac and an AP Racing clutch.
