Your chance to steer Bloodhound!

Posted on 4 Jan 2013 by The Manufacturer

Those hopeful of becoming backseat driver to Andy Green have less than a month left to submit their designs for the supersonic Bloodhound’s steering wheel.

In December 2012 The Bloodhound project launched an open innovation challenge to design the steering wheel for the Bloodhound car which aims to exceed 1000 miles per hour. Entries close on January 31.

The Bloodhound project is driven by a desire to inspire a new generation of talented engineers, scientists and designers. The car will be driven by Andy Green OBE who currently holds the land speed record.

The programme is a unique open innovation environment and the competition to design the steering wheel is being run in collaboration with the Product Innovation Congress, Altair and GrabCAD. Representatives from Develop3D magazine will also sit on the competition jury.

The competitor with the most intelligent, safe and feasible design will snatch a cash prize of $1000, free entry to the Product Innovation Congress and a copy Altair’s design software, solidThinking Inspire. Team entries are welcome in the competition.

The design of the steering wheel for Bloodhound will be critical to the success of the land speed record attempt and presents an unprecedented engineering challenge. The car will be under enormous stress as it accelerates from stand still to over 1000 miles per hour in just 120 second. The body work of the car, for instance will have to withstand air pressure of 10 tonnes per spare metre. The wheels, spinning at 10,200 rpm will generate 50000 G at the rim.

Forty seven entries have been submitted to date.

For more information about the competition go to http://grabcad.com/challenges/bloodhound-ssc-steering-wheel-challenge.

Winners will be announced at the Product Innovation Congress in Berlin on February 19.