Bloodhound gets a supersonic boost: Engineers fit a jet engine to the £10million car designed to reach speeds of more than 1,000mph
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The mission to produce the world's first 1,000mph (1,600km/h) car has been given a boost - or more accurately thrust - with the installation of a state-of-the-art jet engine.
A team of five engineers spent eight hours fitting the EJ200 engine to the upper and lower chassis of the supersonic Bloodhound car.
Driver Andy Green, 51, is hoping to break the world land speed record when he tests the £10 million rocket-powered vehicle next year.
The mission to produce the world's first 1,000mph (1,600km/h) car has been given a boost - or more accurately thrust - with the installation of a state-of-the-art jet engine. A team of five engineers spent eight hours fitting the EJ200 jet engine to the upper and lower chassis of the supersonic Bloodhound car (pictured)
The engine, which is normally found powering a Eurofighter Typhoon, weighs a tonne and produces 20,000lbs (90kN) - or nine tonnes of thrust.
It was fitted at the Bloodhound technical centre in Avonmouth, near Bristol.
The upper chassis is made of strong, but lightweight aluminium, onto which titanium stringers and titanium skin will be fixed using glue and 1,400 aircraft specification rivets.
The lower chassis, below the jet, is made of aluminium and steel, and houses the Nammo hybrid rocket.
The two power plants together produce 135,000 thrust horse power, or the equivalent to 180 Formula 1 cars.
The pencil-shaped car will be 44ft (13.4m) long, 6ft (183cm) in diameter, and weigh 7.5 tonnes when completed.
Chief engineer Mark Chapman said: 'This is a fantastic moment in the project.
'It's great to see the jet engine fitted, it validates the many years of hard work by our team of motor sport and aerospace engineers.'
The project is on course for the finished car to roll out for low speed testing at up to 200mph (321km/h) at Newquay's Aerohub next summer.
The team will then head to South Africa and attempt to break the 1,000mph barrier on a purpose-built 12-mile track in the desert in 2015 and 2016.
During the record-chasing run, Bloodhound will cover 12 miles (19km) in two minutes, exerting an acceleration force of almost 2G, and peak deceleration force of 3G on the driver.
The current land speed record stands at 763.035mph (1,227.985km/h), set by former RAF pilot Andy Green - who will also drive the Bloodhound - back in 1997 in the ThrustSSC.
The pencil-shaped car (concept pictured) will be 44ft (13.4m) long, 6ft (183cm) in diameter and weigh 7.5 tonnes when completed. The upper chassis is made of strong, but lightweight aluminium to which titanium stringers and titanium skin will be fixed using glue and 1,400 aircraft specification rivets
The lower chassis, below the jet (pictured), is made of aluminium and steel, and houses the Nammo hybrid rocket. The two power plants together produce 135,000 thrust horse power, or the equivalent to 180 F1 cars
Earlier this year, designers of the supersonic car revealed the vehicle's futuristic cockpit.
It has been made from five different types of carbon fibre weave, and two different resins. It has taken more than 10,000 hours to design and manufacture in total.
Sandwiched between the layers of carbon fibre are three different thicknesses of aluminium honeycomb core, which provide additional strength.
At its thickest point the material is made up of 13 layers, but measures just 0.9-inches (24mm) thick.
The cockpit structure weighs 441lbs (200kg) and bolts directly to the metallic rear chassis carrying the jet, rocket and racing car engine.
It has to be strong as this front section will have to endure peak aerodynamic loads of up to three tonnes per square metre at 1,000mph (1,609kph), as well the considerable forces generated by the front wheels and suspension.
It will also carry ballistic armour to protect Wing Commander Green should a stone be thrown up by the front wheels at very high speeds.
The cockpit is positioned in front of three loud motors - the jet, a cluster of hybrid rockets and the racing car engine that drives the rocket's oxidiser pump, which are expected to generate a noise level estimated at 140 decibels - the equivalent to a shotgun blast.
Wing Commander Green will wear a specially made in-ear communications system to protect his hearing and to ensure that he can communicate with mission control.
The team behind the Bloodhound SSC also revealed how they intend to slow it from 1,000mph (1,600km/h) to zero.
The current land speed record stands at 763.035mph (1,227.985km/h), set by former RAF pilot Andy Green - who will also drive the Bloodhound - back in 1997 in the ThrustSSC. The first attempt to break the 1,000mph barrier will take place in South Africa on a purpose-built 12-mile track in the desert in 2015 and 2016
The engine was fitted at the at the Bloodhound technical centre in Avonmouth, near Bristol (pictured). Chief engineer Mark Chapman said: 'This is a fantastic moment in the project. It's great to see the jet engine fitted, it validates the many years of hard work by our team of motor sport and aerospace engineers'
The engine, which is normally found powering a Eurofighter Typhoon, weighs one tonne and produces 20,000lbs (90kN) - or nine tonnes of thrust
After the car reaches its top speed, air brakes and parachutes will slow it to 160mph (260km/h).
Breaking to this speed is done at a constant 3G deceleration - equivalent to going from 60mph (95km/h) in a normal car to zero in just one second - for 20 seconds.
This last stint to zero is where the problem lies, however.
Even at this speed the cars wheels are still spinning 10,000 times per minute.
Attempts to use carbon rotors from a jet fighter in the form of car-like disc brakes shattered at speeds of just half this, so the team needed a new approach.
Instead, they switched to steel rotors from brake manufacturer AP Racing. In tests these proved much more promising, withstanding temperatures of up to 850°C (1,560°F). They even survived to such an extent that they can be used again.
The next step will be to test these brakes out at the full 10,000rpm that will be experienced.
Earlier this year, designers of the supersonic car revealed the vehicle's futuristic cockpit. It has been made from five different types of carbon fibre weave and two different resins. It has taken more than 10,000 hours to design and manufacture in total
During the record-chasing run, Bloodhound (pictured) will cover 12 miles (19km) in two minutes, exerting an acceleration force of almost 2G, and peak deceleration force of 3G on the driver
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