US Landspeed Attempt

[Ed Blankinship]

Well, this is not NASCAR but interesting in any case. It is an attempt to bring the World Land Speed record back to the US.

http://www.landspeed.com/Default.asp

ED

[WyoShooter]

A jet fighter without wings. It will be interesting I got to admit.

[Lone Star]

I wish them luck, but the premise is poorly thought out IMO. Using an aircraft fuselage designed for airflow at 30,000 feet to try to go fast at 0 feet is not how the records have been set in the past - this type of project has usually failed. The Brits did it right, using a chassis designed for speed at air pressures found at 0 feet elevation. Their craft didn't even look like an airplane without wings either.....

[Rocky Raab]

You may be right.

That's an F-104 fuselage, BTW. It would hit Mach 2 in the air - but not for long. Not much room in that thing for fuel tanks. Even less in the "car" version, because thw wingtip tanks are now wheels.

It was originally called "The missile with a man in it."

[TreeDoc]

I think you guys are right. Another futile attempt with a salvaged piece of aluminum tube. I think it would make a better Weiner Mobile for Oscar Mayar. The F104 specs shows it at 1037 mph at 50,000 feet. Not a hell of a lot faster than what they're trying to do on the ground but the Density Altitude, compressibility, and all that other neat crap that makes a jet aircraft perform at altitude just doesn't work on the ground and then you add the friction of wheels. I would think the engineers would have it all figgered out but I'd bet it pukes out on the attempt.

Like Lone Star mentioned, that Brit design was "Da Kind" and it worked!

[Rocky Raab]

On the other hand, they did save themselves a whale of a lot of mechanical engineering: all the fuel plumbing, instruments, electricals, hydraulics, engine mounts and such. Then there's all the specialty fabricating like the canopy dome.

Let's see... throttle in the left hand, steer with the feet (rudder and differential braking)...no stick. Hmmm...Nothing to do with his right hand except keep his fingers crossed!

[Ed Blankinship]

Rocky,

That is a stock canopy they are using. From the videos it appears they are steering with the stick as there are no control surfaces to operate with the rudder peddles. Brakes are electo magnetic, no shoes or mechanical contact at all. Next time I'm over that way I'm going to stop by and take a look. I have had some conversation with they team. They have used canards to offset ground effect and they work quite well.

F-104 specs:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/airdef/f-104.htm

[Rocky Raab]

I thought I said that they saved any canopy redesign, but that's unimportant.

Nonetheless...I think that not having a working rudder is a serious mistake. Nosewheel steering in a jet is notoriously sensitive and tricky - most jets have it locked out above a certain speed.

I genuinely wish them luck and success.

[Ed Blankinship]

So you did Rocky, a misread on my part. Not sure just how they are steering it. They have a wheel in the nose wheel well and the two main landing gear wheel wells. That's why I need to stop by and look. Too many questions........
My interest is twofold; I worked on 104's (G models) for better than 5 years and Tacoma, where they are based, is my old home town.

[Classicvette63]

That looks like one of lifes many endeavors where you are either a Grand Champion or a greasy spot.

Bumping the record a little won't be that lucrative or memorable, IMO. Folks like very defined goals or round numbers. The FIRST thru the sound barrier, on land or air, or the first over 300 in a dragster. Stuff like that people remember. Without googleing it, who knows who has the current air speed record?

[TreeDoc]

That would likely be whoever is commanding the Shuttle! :D

Edit: ...but then I googled it. Scramjet at 7000 mph. Now that's just flat out haulin' ass! :eek:

[skeeter@ccia.com]

This isn't new.......I seen it done long ago when the Coyote was after the road runner..Maybe these guys seen the same show?
Hey..light the fuse somebody!

[Ed Blankinship]

763 MPH or Mach 1.02 currently. By the British.

[TreeDoc]

Originally posted by skeeter@ccia.com
This isn't new.......I seen it done long ago when the Coyote was after the road runner..Maybe these guys seen the same show?
Hey..light the fuse somebody!

You're right skeeter, built by ACME Rocket Co if I remember correctly.

[skeet]

Money ill spent for no real reason in my opinion. I'd spend the money on an African Safari and a month long dove hunt in Argentina.:D :D At 10 bucks a box for the shells, the money they are wasting would keep me in shells for a long time....or even better I would buy my own airplane and fly again. Something like a Helio Courier or a Maule. The HC wasn't as fast as this rocket...but the landings were a lot easier...even easier than Rocky's Skymasters...