World Land Speed Record Attempts

I've been fascinated all my life (well, the 19 years of it) by the Land Speed record. The drivers who break the record are true legends in my book, and it's a pity that these feat's over the years haven't seemed to get the recognition they deserve. Post here your thoughts on it, memories, questions, whatever :)

Regarding the 1979 Budweiser Rocket, which supposedly was the first to break the sound barrier. I know that the major problem with their attempt was that they only had one go at it, they didn't give a return run. I have also heard that they didn't use official timing systems and their wasn't an FIA representitive there. Is this the case? And why so?

IS this the right place to say RIP Don Vesco - current/former driven lsr for both two wheels and four

I too find the Land Speed Record very interesting. Regarding the Bud Rocket, I believe the car was deemed to dangerous for a return run, by the driver. It was also only a three wheeled vehicle, not four as indeed the FIA requires for something to classify as a 'car.'

I also heard that a sonic boom was never heard, so no one even knows if it did break the record.

http://cfm.globalf1.net/history/landspeedrecord/index.htm

I thought that the reason a return run was not made was because the one hour allowed between runs did not allow the team time to change the Sidewinder missile used to supplement the main rocket engine?

That's actually pretty close to what happened, I believe. The sadness was that all the effort was put into the Budweiser Rocket project, which was always going to have difficulty complying with the return run stipulation which had been in place for the best part of 70 years.

The other curiosity is that I seem to recall some debate about whether the characteristic "boom" of breaking the sound barrier was actually heard that day. While I accept that a sonic boom is a pretty directional phenomenon, and can be missed if you're in the wrong place, there is massive eyewitness and taped evidence that Thrust SSC did indeed crack the sound barrier, and so far I've not seen anything which backs up the same claim for the Budweiser Rocket.

I don't know if it is true or not, but a pilot advised me that the "speed of sound" is not a set speed, it varies on wind speed, air pressure and height above sea level.

The wind speed I can understand in that a 50mph tail wind will increase the groundspeed required.

Simon

Originally posted by SL
I don't know if it is true or not, but a pilot advised me that the "speed of sound" is not a set speed, it varies on wind speed, air pressure and height above sea level.
This is certainly true.

I think that Thrust SSC broke both the local sound barrier (hence the boom) and the standard sea-level value.

If you watched 'the mission' on bbc a few years back (I still have it on video - superb) They explain all of this and after doing the record run the had to wait for a few stressed minute to find out if they were over mach one even though they had already broken the local sound barrier.
One thought - the wheel driven record has stood for ages now - I believe its still held by golden rod??? Scrapheap mega challenge perhaps?? I think we should get a ten tenth team together a zepplin engine and head to Pendine sands...

Originally posted by ss_collins
One thought - the wheel driven record has stood for ages now - I believe its still held by golden rod???
C3P0? :confused: Isn't it R2D2 with the wheels?

Scrapheap mega challenge perhaps?? I think we should get a ten tenth team together a zepplin engine and head to Pendine sands...
"To make there life a little easier we have hidden four seven litre Chrysler V8 engines somewhere in the scrapheap" ;)

I was thinkig a bunch of ferraris old f1 v12s

http://www.landspeed.com/links.html

some yanks are trying nick nick 'our' record!

the new wheel driven record!!! set last year?

http://www.simonlewis.com/Don-Vesco-Turbinator.html

Originally posted by ss_collins
the new wheel driven record!!! set last year?

http://www.simonlewis.com/Don-Vesco-Turbinator.html As josvandeperre mentioned, it would seem that Don Vesco won't be able to defend that record:

http://www.motorcyclenewswire.com/news.cfm?newsid=2133

Originally posted by racer69
I've been fascinated all my life (well, the 19 years of it) by the Land Speed record. The drivers who break the record are true legends in my book, and it's a pity that these feat's over the years haven't seemed to get the recognition they deserve. Post here your thoughts on it, memories, questions, whatever :)

Regarding the 1979 Budweiser Rocket, which supposedly was the first to break the sound barrier. I know that the major problem with their attempt was that they only had one go at it, they didn't give a return run. I have also heard that they didn't use official timing systems and their wasn't an FIA representitive there. Is this the case? And why so?

I had heard that they tried to a some cred to this by gettng Chuck Yager to say he heard the sonic boom while he was watching this.

Evan Green was Team Manager for Donald Campbells Bluebird which ran on Lake Erye I believe

The LSR has been for so long a super-exotic activity pursued on deserts and salt flats it reassuring to recall that in 1909 a new LSR was set by Victor Hemery driving a 22 litre Darracq along the N113 Arles - Salon road in southern France - at 109MPH. No front brakes, no bodywork, just a chassis and an engine - and, for some reason, a riding mechanic.

There's currently a plan to break the LSR using a rocket propelled sled over ice....!:eek: Cheeck it out at:

www.sonicwind.com