WORD WIZARDRY DICTIONARY
Physics: the science of moving
objects, heat, light, gravity etc
iTECH
Pressure: the strength of the force of
air pressing on something
Disintegrate: break into little pieces
Withstand: to not be badly affected
by something
As for the cockpit (the area where
a driver sits) that’s hugely exciting!
Its shape is inspired by a jet fighter
aeroplane. Rob Bennett, who showed
me around said: “Andy is involved in
all the design; even the entire shape
of the steering wheel which is
3D printed titanium (that’s a super
high-tech way of making designs!).
When Andy drove the Thrust SSC
land speed car in 1997, he squeezed
it so hard he bent the steering wheel!
This one fits his hands perfectly
because it’s designed for him.”
Another Andy - who came up with the
computer programs and electronics
for the car - switches on the
dashboard. It has a screen which runs
off a separate supply of batteries, so
that if everything fails Andy Green
can still tell what speed and time
he’s travelling at. “If he lets go of the
steering wheel because he passes
out, the car will come to a natural
8
SPARK
halt” says Rob. “But the rule of the
landspeed record is that you have to
have a driver in control of the vehicle.”
There is a parachute system to slow
the car down and air brakes, plus
normal brakes in the wheels.
It’s a battle against physics to get a
car with one person in it to 1,000 miles
an hour at ground level. At ground
level the air is “thick”. When you ride
a bike, the feel of the wind on your
face is from that air. Planes normally
fly much higher where the air is
thin, so there’s less pushing against
it. Bloodhound is going to have to
withstand massive air pressure; it
has to be tougher than a submarine
to cope with 1,000mph of thick air
pushing against the car. That’s also
why it needs so much energy. Rob
adds: “This isn’t an aeroplane, it is a
bit like an aeroplane but it’s a car…
even a bit like a spaceship!”