The Bloodhound land speed record team has smashed through yet another milestone by achieving a successful 628mph run.
Just seven other vehicles have managed the feat of driving beyond 600mph, which the Bloodhound managed on a dry lakebed in South Africa.
At 628mph, it would take Bloodhound just 39 minutes to travel the 414 miles between London and Edinburgh.
Remarkably, the achievement is all the more impressive because Bloodhound is currently running with just the thrust of a jet engine, despite the vehicle’s design allowing for a rocket motor as well.
The rocket motor is due to be fitted soon, which should help the machine to achieve its target speed of 763mph – the current world land speed record.
That record was set 22 years ago by Thrust SSC, with RAF pilot Andy Green at the controls. Green is also the one piloting Bloodhound towards its goal.
Green said after setting the speed: “This morning we had the perfect conditions for a high-speed run; cool temperatures and virtually no wind. After a slick start procedure from the team, the car handled superbly once again.
“The stability and confidence the car gives me as a driver is testament to the years of world class engineering that has been invested in her by team members past and present. With all the data generated by reaching 628 mph [1,010 km/h], we’re in a great position to focus on setting a new world land speed record in the next year or so.
“A vital component in the success of our high-speed testing has been the race track created here at Hakskeenpan. It’s proved to be exactly what we need and I’m delighted with how the car has performed on it.”
This run in particular marks the end of the high-speed testing phase of the project, with the car set to return to England. It remains to be seen if and when a land speed record run will be attempted.
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