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Written by Joe Holding
It"s not often that a Boeing 747 carries something faster than itself.But that"s exactly what will happen when the Bloodhound SSC sets off on its journey to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa next summer, where it will aim to set a new land speed record of 800mph before raising the bar again to 1,000mph the following year.The whole project is a truly massive undertaking. To prepare the 12-mile runway, 317 local people were hired to remove 16,000 tonnes of rock by hand, equating to about 50 tonnes per person. Never before has the phrase no stone left unturned" been more appropriate.And that"s just the foundations. When the team arrives the first job will be to build a temporary town, complete with a technical camp, workshop, control centre and accommodation for the 250 or so personnel who will be on site when everything is in full swing.Operations Director Martyn Davidson is the man in charge of the logistics, and arguably he has the least enviable job of the entire team. He"s responsible for the 195 tonnes of kit 100 of which is arriving by sea, the rest by air needed for an attempt like this.An ex-military man and veteran of the record-holding Thrust SSC project from 1997, Martyn will need to rely on every ounce of his experience to ensure that it all runs smoothly. As such, the 250,000m2 technical area shares a desert compound design often used by the army, while the site as a whole will be treated like one big airport.Building a 1,000mph car sounds easy in comparison."I promised my family I"d never, ever do it again," Martyn admits. So why is he doing it again? He shrugs. "What else would I do?!"A key part of the transportation phase is the cargo plane. The Bloodhound will be flown to Upington in South Africa after low speed tests in Cornwall next year, courtesy of freight airline CargoLogicAir following a deal concluded at the Farnborough International Airshow last week.There are two jets on offer: either a Russian Antonov or a Boeing 747, with the team yet to decide which would best suit their requirements. Much will depend on how easy it is to load and unload the car, hence the need for a trial run with a scale model on the tarmac at Farnborough moments after the contract was signed.But who would be able to coordinate such a delicate exercise? Having tested the parachutes and helped assemble some of the Bloodhound"s components last year, naturally TG got the call.With the car parked on a hydraulic loading platform, a high-vis jacket is tossed in my direction as a member of the Boeing crew explains the various hand gestures used to help guide the driver: double waving for reverse", parallel palms for straighten up", crossed arms for stop".Never a natural on the dancefloor, what follows is a series of awkward movements akin to your standard embarrassing uncle at a wedding" variety, but they seem to do the trick as the vehicle inches back into its pre-marked slot in front of the plane.
Date written: 19 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4319
It"s not often that a Boeing 747 carries something faster than itself.But that"s exactly what will happen when the Bloodhound SSC sets off on its journey to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa next summer, where it will aim to set a new land speed record of 800mph before raising the bar again to 1,000mph the following year.The whole project is a truly massive undertaking. To prepare the 12-mile runway, 317 local people were hired to remove 16,000 tonnes of rock by hand, equating to about 50 tonnes per person. Never before has the phrase no stone left unturned" been more appropriate.And that"s just the foundations. When the team arrives the first job will be to build a temporary town, complete with a technical camp, workshop, control centre and accommodation for the 250 or so personnel who will be on site when everything is in full swing.Operations Director Martyn Davidson is the man in charge of the logistics, and arguably he has the least enviable job of the entire team. He"s responsible for the 195 tonnes of kit 100 of which is arriving by sea, the rest by air needed for an attempt like this.An ex-military man and veteran of the record-holding Thrust SSC project from 1997, Martyn will need to rely on every ounce of his experience to ensure that it all runs smoothly. As such, the 250,000m2 technical area shares a desert compound design often used by the army, while the site as a whole will be treated like one big airport.Building a 1,000mph car sounds easy in comparison."I promised my family I"d never, ever do it again," Martyn admits. So why is he doing it again? He shrugs. "What else would I do?!"A key part of the transportation phase is the cargo plane. The Bloodhound will be flown to Upington in South Africa after low speed tests in Cornwall next year, courtesy of freight airline CargoLogicAir following a deal concluded at the Farnborough International Airshow last week.There are two jets on offer: either a Russian Antonov or a Boeing 747, with the team yet to decide which would best suit their requirements. Much will depend on how easy it is to load and unload the car, hence the need for a trial run with a scale model on the tarmac at Farnborough moments after the contract was signed.But who would be able to coordinate such a delicate exercise? Having tested the parachutes and helped assemble some of the Bloodhound"s components last year, naturally TG got the call.With the car parked on a hydraulic loading platform, a high-vis jacket is tossed in my direction as a member of the Boeing crew explains the various hand gestures used to help guide the driver: double waving for reverse", parallel palms for straighten up", crossed arms for stop".Never a natural on the dancefloor, what follows is a series of awkward movements akin to your standard embarrassing uncle at a wedding" variety, but they seem to do the trick as the vehicle inches back into its pre-marked slot in front of the plane.
Date written: 19 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4319
