First public Bloodhound trials at 200mph

The world’s most advanced supersonic car will finally be let loose for its fastest land speed trial yet.

Constructed in an anonymous grey building on an Avonmouth industrial estate by some of the UK’s finest scientists and engineers, Bloodhound SSC is now on location at Newquay Airport, where it will be tested at 200mph.

A live stream from on board cameras and 360° cockpit view will give people a real taste of the trial on Thursday (October 26), which marks the culmination of years of work as part of the project to beat the world land speed record. It is hoped the supersonic car will eventually travel at 1,000mph.

Wing commander Andy Green is setting out to beat his own world record

An RAF fighter pilot by day, wing commander Andy Green set the record exactly 20 years ago, reaching 763.035mph in Thrust SSC, and he remains the only person on the planet to have broken the sound barrier on land.

Green plans to be back in the driving seat of Bloodhound to break his own record.

Engineering manager Frantz Nehammer gave Bristol24/7 an insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes in the building of a supersonic car, which started life in premises next to the SS Great Britain.

“It’s all gone extremely well, we could not have asked for a better outcome,” he says. “We are all set for high low speed tests, which will be up to around 200mph in about 10 seconds.”

The two runway trials on Thursday were preceded by a month of tests to check the car’s steering, brakes, suspension and data systems, as well as the efficiency of the intake feeding air to the EJ200 jet engine, sourced from a Eurofighter Typhoon.

Bloodhound was transported to Newquay on the back of a low loader with specially extended ramps and it has been fitted with special wheels shod with rubber tyres from an Electric Lightning fighter.

The multi-skilled team behind Bloodhound’s development

After all this planning, can things still go wrong?

“There are always things that can go wrong, but we work around mitigating them before they happen,” says Nehammer. “We have an experienced team from a range of backgrounds, including ex-Formula One team members and people who have served in the RAF and the Navy.

“We have been really impressed with the way the car has performed. We are really excited to see it work this week in front of our supporters because we have a great amount of support from the public and our sponsors.”

He reveals that the second phase in building the supersonic car is the development of a rocket programme, but says Bloodhound still has a way to go before it will be breaking the world record.

“The rocket needs to be completed, the desert needs to be ready and we need to have funding in place,” continues Nehammer.

He adds that one of the most important elements of the project is about inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers, something the UK needs more of.

Getting Bloodhound ready for its trial

Visit www.bloodhoundssc.yourticketbooking.com/events for more information and to buy tickets for the public trials

Read more: The Bristol brains behind the Bloodhound