FIA World Records are motorsport distilled to its two most basic elements - distance versus time - to create the fastest recognised official speeds achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land. The Outright Land Speed Record, which currently stands at Record Attempts may be attempted on straightline playa, salt or tarmac courses, where they are averaged over two runs in opposing directions, or over distance or time endurance runs on closed racetracks.
This flowchart lists the various steps in the process of setting a record: from the application for the Record Attempt to its publication. The first jet-powered car to claim the record was Spirit of America driven by American Craig Breedlove. He would go on to set the record a further 4 times in the s with his final success in reaching mph.
The final American to set the record was Gary Gabelich in the rocket-powered Blue Flame with a speed of mph. The twin Rolls-Royce Spey powered car went supersonic reaching an average of The project plans to hit the 1, mph mark, which would break the record by the largest ever margin if achieved.
Want to read more industry news and exclusive updates from WDB? Visit our blog page now. The Two Pass Rule The early records were set under different standards with world records not always being recognised by everyone.
Jet Propulsion The introduction of jet engines initially led to some confusion over the rules and what was allowed. Likely faults in an unbalanced process. He'd been fascinated by the land-speed record since childhood, and had followed British driver Richard Noble's campaign that had raised the mark to Now, Noble was putting together a team to go after the last great land-speed record milestone — the sound barrier — and he needed a driver with test-pilot experience behind the wheel.
Andy knew his experience flying supersonic fighters put him in a strong position, and, having recently performed a m ft bungee jump for no reason other than sheer daredevilry, he knew that the warning against "those of a nervous disposition" did not apply. The role also appealed to his patriotism, as it was a chance to claim a world record for Queen and country — a British car with a British driver — and to continue the Royal Air Force's historic association with record-breaking.
In some ways Andy seems like a throwback to the gentleman racers of the s and s. He studied at Worcester College, Oxford, where he excelled at, well, more or less everything he tried — rowing in the Men's VIII, flying in the Oxford University Air Squadron and earning first-class honours in mathematics.
Within a year of his graduation in he was promoted to Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force and began training for a role in a jet fighter squadron. In his spare time he tinkered with motorbikes, raced bobsleds and ran marathons. Racing land-speed records cars was, to him, just another fun hobby — something he was happy to do simply for the satisfaction of having done it.
When Andy joined the team, work on the car he would one day drive was well under way. Richard Noble and his engineers had acquired four Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines — two of which were factory-fresh experimental models called Mk s. These were the engines used in the supersonic F-4K Phantom fighter jet. Thrust SSC the SSC stood for "supersonic car" was essentially designed around these two massive engines, with the aerodynamicists settling on a design that looked a lot like a wingless fighter jet.
Combined, the engines produced This was easily enough power to break the sound barrier, the big problem was going to be controlling it. After testing and abandoning many other designs, the team settled on an unusual rear-wheel steering set-up, where the front two wheels would be fixed just outboard of the jet intakes, while the rear two pivoting wheels would be arranged in a sort of staggered tandem — one in front and slightly to one side of the other — on the car's centreline.
To test this arrangement, the team's engineers welded together a very strange Mini Cooper. The MPH barrier was quickly broken later in when the land speed record returned to France. Louis Emile Rigolly was one who loved racing wheel-to-wheel with an opponent and is considered the world's first true drag racer. After being defeated in a standing mile race by Paul Baras, Rigolly decided to do something spectacular to save face; he flew through the kilometer at While there were many others who claimed the record at progressively faster speeds, the next notable level of achievement went to Malcolm Campbell of England.
The Bluebird was the first car built strictly for breaking the land speed record; making it unique. Cambell in the Bluebird. Breaking the mph barrier was the accomplishment of Major Henry Seagrave.
He drove the Golden Arrow to a new record speed of What made this car unique is that it is on record as the least used car; having been driven a total of only Seagraves was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his achievements. Sir Henry also attempted to capture the water speed record in his Miss England II when his boat hit a log in the water and capsized, killing Seagrave and mechanic, Victor Halliwell.
Seagrave's Sunbeam car. Cambell in his later Bluebird at Daytona Beach. The competition between Campbell and Seagrave brought down the mph barrier when Sir Malcolm Campbell, also knighted for his achievements by the King of England, averaged a speed of Cambell sitting at the wheel of an earlier model vehicle.
John R. Cobb of England was driving the Railton Mobil Special in his attempt to break the mph barrier, when on Sept. Cobb too, attempted to claim the water speed record in his Crusader on Loch Ness, Scotland, but lost his life on Sept. Cobb's Railton Mobil Special. The mph barrier was finally broken by Mickey Thompson of the U. Driving the Challenger 1 powered by 4 Pontiac V-8 pushrod engines producing hp each, he reached an average speed of Donald Campbell, son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, followed in his father's footsteps and claimed the land speed record on July 17, at Lake Eyre, Australia.
This record was the only one set outside the U. His Bluebird-Proteus CN7 reached an average speed of He lost his life attempting to break the mph barrier on Coniston Water in his jetboat Bluebird.
Cambell's Bluebird-Proteus CN7. The early '60s was the beginning of a new era of land speed vehicles.
0コメント