British Steam Car Speed Record Challenge

[mgmark]

Hadn't crossed my consciousness before, but saw in the Times today that in good, true British fashion, we're about to have a good old crack at another speed record this coming Speed Week season at Bonneville in August.

This time it's for a go at the Land Speed Record for steam-powered cars.  The official FIA record stands at an exceptionally respectable 127.659 mph, set - astonishingly - in 1906, which still stands today.  A later attempt in 1985 raised the speed to 145.607 mph, and although this wasn't recognised officially by the FIA, it is apparently the latter speed that the team are aiming to beat.   

The design spec makes for interesting reading.  I particularly liked the prospect of the 12 boilers, equivalent to 1500 kettles, boiling water to make 23 cups of tea per second using 3km of tubing...all we need is to work out a way to get it to Le Mans next year and we have an assured supply of constant hot water for showers and brews on the campsites 

http://www.steamcar.co.uk/index.htm


So, as UK has the outright and diesel records, here we go for another one.....good luck to them!  I wonder when we'll first see a "steamer" at Le Mans..... 

MG Mark

[Andy Zarse]

"Call for Mr Brown!" 

[Doris]

A friend of a friend has been working on this project from day one.  One day he said to Dutlow, "We're building the world's biggest kettle."

I'll ask him if they're going for a LM bid some time in the future.

Dx

[Andy]

That is one slick looking kettle.
I hope it performs as good as it looks. Good luck to the crew.

[Lorry]

The fastest JCB, now the fastest Kettle

[nopanic - neil]

The fastest JCB, now the fastest Kettle

Sounds like a builders dream.

[Steve Pyro]

"Call for Mr Brown!" 

As reported by me back in 2005 

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=3103.msg35295#msg35295