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posted by chromas on Friday December 07 2018, @09:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the say-it-pulls-water-out-of-thin-air-and-crowd-fund-it dept.

Bloodhound supersonic car project axed

A project to race a car at more than 1,000mph has been axed after it failed to secure a £25m cash injection.

The Bloodhound supersonic vehicle - built with a Rolls-Royce Eurofighter jet engine bolted to a rocket - is all but finished.

The Bristol-based team behind it was aiming to beat the existing land speed world record of 763mph (1,228km/h).

[...] The last two-to-three years have been an especially tough environment in which to raise financial support. The investment landscape is difficult, in part because of Brexit uncertainty, but principally because many large brands that might once have put their name on the side of a car to build awareness are now using other marketing tools, such as social media.

Previously: 3D-Printed Tech to Steer Bloodhound Supersonic Car
Bloodhound Supersonic Car to be Tested in October


Original Submission

Related Stories

3D-Printed Tech to Steer Bloodhound Supersonic Car 6 comments

When the Bloodhound Super-Sonic Car is unveiled this week, the public will be able to see the many innovative technologies used in its construction. Several surface panels will be removed so that people can look inside to get a sense of the engineering required to make a car move faster than 1,000mph.

Given the bespoke nature of Bloodhound, a significant number of its components have been fabricated using 3D printing techniques. This includes even the steering wheel.

With over 3,500 custom-made parts, it would have been prohibitively expensive, and wasteful, for the Bloodhound project to use traditional batch production approaches in many instances. The complex design of the car also demands shapes that are difficult - sometimes impossible - to make using traditional tooling. As a consequence, the car's designers were always going to make good use of "additive manufacturing".


Original Submission

Bloodhound Supersonic Car to be Tested in October 13 comments

What could become the world's fastest rocket-powered car will be tested for the first time in October:

The Bloodhound supersonic car will run for the first time on 26 October. It is going to conduct a series of "slow speed" trials on the runway at Newquay airport in Cornwall.

Engineers want to shake down the vehicle's systems before heading out to South Africa next year to try to break the land speed record. This stands at 763mph (1,228km/h), and Bloodhound's aim is to raise the mark in two stages - by getting first to 800mph and then to 1,000mph.

The Newquay trials will not see anything like those speeds. The 9,000ft-long (2,744m) runway at the former RAF base is simply too short to allow Bloodhound to use the full thrust at its disposal. Instead, driver Andy Green will take the car up to about 200mph using just its Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine. The rocket motor that would ordinarily provide additional power will not even be in the car as its development has yet to be completed.

Previously: 3D-Printed Tech to Steer Bloodhound Supersonic Car


Original Submission

Bloodhound Supersonic Car Project Back From the Dead 1 comment

Bloodhound: Land speed record car is relaunched

The Bloodhound supersonic car is back, under new management and preparing to renew its pursuit of the land speed record.

The project went into administration last year, unable to secure the financing needed to go racing - even though the vehicle was all but built. But with the purchase of the car by entrepreneur Ian Warhurst, Bloodhound has been put on a new footing. Engineers are looking to start high-speed trials "as soon as possible". These could take place in the South African desert later this year, although team-members are being cautious about giving hard timelines for the re-booted venture.

Previously: 3D-Printed Tech to Steer Bloodhound Supersonic Car
Bloodhound Supersonic Car to be Tested in October
Bloodhound Supersonic Car Project Terminated Due to Lack of Funds


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 07 2018, @09:15PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 07 2018, @09:15PM (#771307)

    I'm not disappointed. The notion of land speed record has kind of hit a limit. It's not like this is the 1920s where it was at the cutting edge. Jet powered vehicles like this are basically like intentionally running a fighter jet too close to the deck, it's just that it doesn't have the ability to fly properly.

    I'm more impressed by the guy who ran his 50cc powered bike 150 mph or something at Bonneville. Let's push the boundary within restricted classes like that, and see what kind of aerodynamic shells we can come up with. That's more interesting, at least to me.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Friday December 07 2018, @09:57PM (2 children)

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday December 07 2018, @09:57PM (#771315)

      Simple solution: moving power has to be transmitted only to the ground.

    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:06AM

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:06AM (#771369)

      There are no limits to speed - only limited budgets to speedsters.

      --
      🌻🌻 [google.com]
  • (Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 07 2018, @09:45PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 07 2018, @09:45PM (#771312)

    What's the point of this, to waste money on an expensive way to die. Good on British funders not to give these idiots any money. Now, I hear that in Silicon Valley, you could still dump this kind of shit on the street and have VCs swarm like flies.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by MostCynical on Friday December 07 2018, @11:14PM (4 children)

      by MostCynical (2589) on Friday December 07 2018, @11:14PM (#771331) Journal

      Even I can see that, without people who ask "why not?" or "can we?", the world would not have much in the way of technology or exploration.

      I can see slightly less relevance to the world in "most hotdogs eaten in a minute" or "longest toenails"than "fastest jet powered vehicle", but competition drives the world, and they are all examples of competition, striving for something, and pushing boundaries.

      Moon? Mars? Hubble telescope? Large Hardon Collider? I assume your world needs none of these things.

      --
      "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
      • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:13AM (1 child)

        by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:13AM (#771371)

        Climbing Everest? If ever there was a "been there done that" challenge...

        Land speed records push some esoteric sciences forward. Where's the relevance to the rest of the world? Perhaps in wind turbines, or vacuum tube subway suspension systems, turbine operation in dirty intake conditions, who knows, and even if nothing of value is learned, it's entertainment.

        Personally, I'd much rather watch a few people try to go insanely fast in a no limits competition instead of organized sports where the participants are giving each other long term concussive injuries. Care to compare the budgets there? Collateral damage after the show is over?

        And, it doesn't have to be speed - Punkin' Chuckin' is pretty cool too.

        --
        🌻🌻 [google.com]
        • (Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Saturday December 08 2018, @04:47PM

          by fyngyrz (6567) on Saturday December 08 2018, @04:47PM (#771567) Journal

          Where's the relevance to the rest of the world?

          As with most such efforts, that's TBD later. We never know what we might learn pursuing endeavors at the edges of our capabilities. And the more we learn, the better off we are.

          --
          Infinite Recursion: See Infinite Recursion.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @02:00AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 09 2018, @02:00AM (#771740)

        How many buttplugs can you simutaneously insert? We need to find out man!

  • (Score: 2) by Snospar on Friday December 07 2018, @11:10PM (2 children)

    by Snospar (5366) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 07 2018, @11:10PM (#771330)

    Have we gone back to October time?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45838994 [bbc.co.uk]

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    Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by NewNic on Friday December 07 2018, @11:39PM (1 child)

      by NewNic (6420) on Friday December 07 2018, @11:39PM (#771343) Journal

      No.

      That report was written when the project went into administration. What's happening now is that it is clear that the project will never exit administration and the assets are being sold.

      --
      lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
      • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Saturday December 08 2018, @12:51AM

        by bob_super (1357) on Saturday December 08 2018, @12:51AM (#771360)

        Should have done it in the US. Gas-guzzling dangerous useless bragging rights project would definitely survive this administration.

  • (Score: 2, Disagree) by Snotnose on Saturday December 08 2018, @12:33AM (4 children)

    by Snotnose (1623) on Saturday December 08 2018, @12:33AM (#771355)

    Did they run out of people willing to give them money, or idiots to climb into their deathtraps and try to survive 1,000 mph on less than the lowest bidder? As in, we can't meet your spec but this is what we can do...

    I hope it's the latter, but am afraid it's the former. Face it, record the dude dying at 1,000 MPH and you'll make money on PPV.

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:16AM

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday December 08 2018, @01:16AM (#771374)

      I knew a guy who was preparing to drive a not-too-modified Miata 200mph on the salt flats, he was pretty relieved when the whole thing fell apart - sponsor car got recalled to Japan before they made the attempt.

      Interesting balance of physics and economics are involved in making something like that happen. To go faster, you want narrower wheels and more money. To get the money, you need to use wider wheels that a sponsor will pay you to put on the car - extra turbo boost is cheaper than passing on wheel sponsor money.

      --
      🌻🌻 [google.com]
    • (Score: 1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @02:19AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @02:19AM (#771401)

      > ...idiots to climb into their deathtraps...

      Andy Green is no idiot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Green [wikipedia.org]

      ...and then gained an RAF scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1983 with first class honours in mathematics.[2] Later that year Green was promoted from acting Pilot Officer to substantive Pilot Officer in the RAF.[3] He qualified as a fighter pilot on F-4 Phantom and Tornado F3 aircraft. In 2003 Green was promoted to Wing Commander.[4] He later became Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Wittering near Peterborough.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @03:25AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @03:25AM (#771419)

        And he's 58 years old. He's the sort of guy who has been active his whole life and now can't handle slowing down in a creaky, leaky, old body.
        He'd rather go out in rocket bomb than sit in a rocker.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @04:21AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @04:21AM (#771435)

          Well, he's already set several other speed records, so he's a lifetime speed junkie in my book. As has been well documented he approaches record braking on land just like an engineering test pilot. One step at a time, check out all the vehicle systems as you go and never go when something even hints of trouble.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @06:51PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 08 2018, @06:51PM (#771621)

    Just change your name to : bloodhound hyperloop

    Mail my check to anonymous coward care of Soylentnews, thanks

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