The BLOODHOUND Project is a global Engineering Adventure, using a 1,000mph world land speed record attempt to inspire the next generation of children and young people to enjoy, explore and get involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In the last year alone, over 100,000 children in the UK took part in BLOODHOUND lessons and activities, with many more overseas, and we want that figure to grow!
In October 2017, the world's fastest car, BLOODHOUND SSC, will run for the first time ever at Newquay Airport in the UK. After that, we will be taking the Car to South Africa to break the World Land Speed Record.
This is your chance to be part of the BLOODHOUND Experience by supporting the Project and pledging for one of our unique rewards – items and experiences you won’t be able to get anywhere else. This will help us continue with our Project, including our inspiring educational activities with schools, colleges and clubs.
What is BLOODHOUND?
BLOODHOUND SSC (supersonic car) is the most advanced and powerful land vehicle on earth, powered by three ‘engines’: a jet engine from a Eurofighter Typhoon plane, a rocket and a V8 petrol engine. It has taken 300 person years to design using Europe's most powerful computing cluster and in the process it has advanced the sciences of computational fluid dynamics and materials science.
The Car is 13.4m long and weighs 7.5 tonnes. It is a mix of car and aircraft technology, with the front section having a carbon fibre monocoque (like a racing car) and the back half consisting of a metallic framework and panels (like an aircraft).
BLOODHOUND is the most complicated car ever built. When it is complete, it will comprise over 3,500 parts (and 22,500 rivets), many of which have been custom-made. It will include: a state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine; Nammo rockets, developed to power the next generation of space launchers; a 550bhp Supercharged Jaguar V8 – used to pump the oxidiser into the rocket; two unique Rolex instruments specially made for BLOODHOUND SSC; a titanium skinned upper chassis; and a canopy with 25mm thick windscreen.
Why are we asking you to donate?
The BLOODHOUND Project is using cutting-edge science and engineering and pushing the boundaries of physics to create a car capable of breaking the World Land Speed Record – and then pushing that record to over 1,000mph. The Car will take less than a minute to accelerate from a standing start to 1,000mph and travel a mile in 3.6 seconds. But most importantly, this project was set up to inspire a generation to engage with STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
So far, the Project has been funded by a mixture of generous sponsorship and public support. Much of the educational outreach work has been done by our team of over 550 BLOODHOUND Ambassadors, who are volunteers. But we need more support to achieve our final goal.
Now, we’re offering you an exclusive opportunity to be part of the BLOODHOUND experience. You can pledge to support the Project by buying anything from a skin pin used to hold the Car together to a flight with BLOODHOUND driver and current World Land Speed Record holder Wing Commander Andy Green. (We can’t offer you the chance to drive the Car, but Andy can tell you all about what it feels like!)
Who is involved?
The BLOODHOUND Project team consists of some of the world’s most revered engineering talent, led by Richard Noble, who broke the World Land Speed Record in 1983 and then led the Thrust SSC project that produced the first car ever to travel faster than the speed of sound. Driver Andy Green is the current holder of the World Land Speed Record at 763mph, which he set in Thrust SSC in 1997.
The rest of the individuals in the Project Team have been hand-picked to ensure BLOODHOUND is a global success, bringing together previous partnerships and fostering new talent in one of the most exciting engineering adventures that the world has seen for many years. This includes a team from the British Army, from the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers.
In addition to the Team, over 280 companies from across the globe are involved in making BLOODHOUND a showcase for science and engineering capability. When you are travelling at 1,000mph, every single part of the car has to be carefully crafted and put together, and our fantastic sponsors have been helping us to achieve that – whether they are supplying tiny rivets or developing brand new rocket technology to power the Car.
Why is the event in Newquay important?
When BLOODHOUND SSC runs in Newquay in October, it will be driver Andy Green’s first chance to test how the Car drives and the first chance anyone will get to see it move under its own power. The data and hands-on experience gathered at Newquay will be vital for when the Car and the Team head to South Africa in 2018 to set the World Land Speed Record.
The World Record runs will take place in Hakskeen Pan in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The location was chosen after a global search that included using satellite images to identify places that might be long enough and have a suitable surface. Since then, over 18,500 tonnes of stones and rocks have been cleared from 20 million square metres of the desert by our fantastic local workers to create the track for BLOODHOUND SSC.
This is your chance to support this truly unique project and be part of the BLOODHOUND adventure, inspiring a generation of children and students as they watch BLOODHOUND SSC race down the runway at Newquay and then at Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape. The Project is achieving its primary goal to inspire the next generation and turn kids on to science and engineering, with over 2 million children having been reached by BLOODHOUND lessons or events altogether, and an increase in the number applying to study engineering. We want to keep this momentum going.
How you can help
We have a great selection of unique rewards to say thank you for contributing to the continuation of the BLOODHOUND Project. The more you give, the more you get. Here are some of the rewards you can bid for – they are a mix of Car parts and BLOODHOUND Experiences, all of which you can’t get anywhere else:
Bag a BLOODHOUND Car part
We have everything from skin pins to Andy Green’s prototype seat on offer!
BLOODHOUND skin pins are used across the bodywork of the world's fastest car, and for a pledge of just £10 you can get a key part of the Car in your pocket. They may be small, but they are absolutely vital components and we could not build BLOODHOUND without them. Luckily we have a few spare that we can pass on….
If you’d like something a bit bigger, we have two different sizes of numbered, limited edition replicas of Andy Green’s steering wheel. These not only replicate the shape, but have also been 3D printed out of titanium, just like the real thing. Alternatively, there are two titanium nose tips up for grabs – identical to the one on BLOODHOUND SSC and also 3D printed – that were produced as part of the development programme.
Finally, if you want something completely unique, we have three amazing opportunities for you….
First, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a tailfin spar that was produced as a developmental machining.
Next up, you can be the proud owner of the prototype glass fibre nose cone of BLOODHOUND SSC. This was manufactured as part of the development of the Car’s complex carbon fibre structure. The load on this component in the Car when it runs will be 10 tons per square metre!
And finally, we have a stunning opportunity to own the actual prototype seat that was built for BLOODHOUND SSC, which has been signed by the BLOODHOUND Team including Richard Noble, Andy Green, chief design engineer Mark Chapman and chief aerodynamicist Ron Ayers.
Get the BLOODHOUND Experience!
As an alternative to Car hardware, we have some BLOODHOUND experiences for you.
You can enjoy a half-day VIP visit to the BLOODHOUND Technical Centre near Bristol for up to 10 people. Our chief engineer, Mark Chapman, will give you a private presentation and tour of the workshop, where you can meet the team and see the Car close up.
Holding an event? You can be inspired by Richard Noble or Andy Green who will come to your event to present and inspire your guests.
FAQs
When is the Car running in Newquay? Can I watch?
BLOODHOUND SSC will make its first trial runs in Newquay in October 2017. You can find out more details about dates and how to watch on our website.
When will the Car run in South Africa?
We expect to take BLOODHOUND out to South Africa in late 2018 but have no firm dates yet. There is still some work to be done on the track and facilities in South Africa, but the main task that needs to be completed before we go to South Africa is the development of the rocket. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest information about dates and see announcements as soon as they happen.
How much is the Project costing and how has the Project been funded so far?
This video explains how the funding for the BLOODHOUND Project has happened so far: