Jet Reaction Rocket Bike Challenges Land Speed Record
Speed freaks worldwide are holding their breath in anticipation for the UK’s Bloodhound SCC project to shatter the land speed record at a blistering 1,050 miles per hour.
The Bristol based program uses a four-wheel design, but Oxford resident Richard Brown is stepping up to the plate to compete for a world record speed in a different class. His two-wheeler is called Jet Reaction. The land-going craft is powered by 1250 horsepower jet engine lifted from a helicopter. Brown’s attempt sets him apart from previous projects that have pursued the title since they only used traditional chain and drive shaft based methods of propulsion.
Preliminary testing was done using a three-wheeled configuration, but the final iteration of Jet Reaction will feature two retractable wheels to ensure a stable start.
On the Jet Reaction website, Brown argues the reason his project is a relevant and important endeavor is that “An outright land speed record is one of the finest opportunities any team can have to demonstrate engineering innovation, within the rules applied by the relevant governing bodies the challenge is to engineer a superior machine making it the best in the world.”
Pendine Sands will be the initial proving grounds for Brown’s project, but the Bonneville Salt Flats will be the site of the official record attempt, and Brown’s jet powered bike is expected to reach speeds of up to 425 miles per hour. His team will have to do two successful runs in the space of two hours in order for the venture to be considered a success.
For now, Hudderson University has been carrying out an aerodynamic analysis of Jet Reaction’s missile shaped body. Such digital preparations are necessary because any of the shell’s stabilizing elements could cause lift, drag, or other disrupting effects at high speeds.
New technology has provided amazing means to attain ridiculous speeds and only by innovating can a team such as Brown’s attain success. Watch this space for the result’s Jet Reactions’ record attempt and to see what advances are in store for those seeking to go even faster.
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Source: Jet Reaction, Wired
