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blownvn
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2004 5:57 pm

Rosco in the news

Post by blownvn »

Bloodhound SSC has an Aussie Invader to contend with in race to break 1000mph mark

http://www.news.com.au/technology/blood ... 5875562366

* By Peter Farquhar, Technology Editor
* From: news.com.au
* June 07, 2010 8:43AM

Image

Rosco McGlashan hopes to beat the Brits to the 1000mp/h mark.

IT'S the ultimate battle of hi-tech versus true grit.

In the Northern Hemisphere's corner is the multi-million dollar Bloodhound SSC, a supersonic car driven by a former RAF wing commander and inspiring a generation of British schoolkids.

Down Under, an Aussie battler is bolting together a contender in his shed that's so far cost him two cartons of beer.

By the end of next year, they'll both be trying to break the 1000mph (1609km/h) land speed barrier, and with any luck, they'll be doing it head-to-head.

The story behind the shiny British effort has been kicking around since 2006, and at first glance, anyone not familiar with it will think the Bloodhound SSC looks the goods.

Pulled together by the man who hit a world-record 1019kmh in 1983, Richard Noble, the Bloodhound will be driven by former RAF wing commander and current 1228kmh world-record holder Andy Green.

All up, it's estimated to cost some £10 million ($17 million), has the help of Swansea University's School of Engineering and boasts its own education centre with a constant flow of schoolkids filing through to offer advice.

Later this month, the show model will get its first public airing - the start of a 12-month drive to get the final few million pounds together and the project on course for Hakskeen Pan in South Africa's Northern Cape by 2012.

If it breaks the landmark 1000mph barrier, it will be the largest margin anyone has smashed a current land speed record since timing began.

Standing in their way is Perth racing driver and backyard engineer Rosco McGlashan.

The 60-year-old McGlashan is the current holder of the Australian land speed record, an 802.6km/h effort in Aussie Invader, his jet-powered car he built and drove himself in 1994.

McGlashan, Noble and Green have history, and so far, the Poms have the upper hand.

McGlashan destroyed Aussie Invader II in 1995 when he hit timing equipment just 43km/h short of chasing down Noble's 1019km/h record.

He beat it the following year, but poor conditions at Lake Gairdner salt flats stopped him from making a return run, which is a mandatory requirement to setting a new record.

And the following year, Green blew them both away by becoming the first man to reach Mach 1 and break the sound barrier on land, sending McGlashan back to the drawing board to begin work on Aussie Invader 5R.

Despite this, the lot of them are the friendliest of rivals, McGlashan claims.

"They're very good friends of ours," he said.

"We're a bit of a brotherhood - both Richard Green and Andy Noble come and stay with me when they're over here."

The differences in their attempts are subtle - Green will drive the Bloodhound lying down with 2.5g of pressure on his head as he reaches the 1000mph mark in under 42 seconds.

McGlashan will be seated for his attempt.

Both vehicles are dependent on hydrogen peroxide for acceleration and both will blast toward the magic mark with the power of roughly 180 Formula One cars.

If there's one thing McGlashan admires about the Bloodhound team, it's the way they're harnessing British pride and involving schoolkids.

"When Richard first started on the project he rang me and said 'We're going to get all the schools involved, why don't you do the same?'

"I said 'Mate, I wouldn't get to first base.'

"We do it a bit more tongue-in-cheek over here, we go cap-in-hand to a potential sponsor and I'm excited if I walk out with a handful of bearings.

"I'll be honest with you, so far building it's cost me two cartons of beer. We're all volunteers here.

"They call us backyard battlers and that's what we are."

While the Bloodhound team have a nation of kids waiting on them to secure a couple of million more pounds, McGlashan needs just $300,000 to finish the rocket engine.

As he says, in motor racing "that's nothing", but he's waiting for sponsor to share his excitement.

McGlashan has been invited to run his car in South Africa and Abu Dhabi, but says his place of choice would be the Nevada desert, where Noble claimed his record in 1983 and its location 1500m above sea level lowers air drag on the car.

It's also where Green took on speed legend Craig Breedlove in 1997, a spectacle McGlashan hopes to repeat.

"I said to Richard in an ideal world we'll both have the cars finish at the same time and we'll try to do what they did back with (Craig) Breedlove and Andy Green back in '97 and go to Blackrock, Nevada together and run independently over the same two day," he said.

"That to me's where the patriot side of it will come out and people will get excited."

McGlashan has been excited since he was schoolboy.

He grew up idolising speed record legends and their willingness to prove the doubters wrong.

"They said breaking the sound barrier on land was a myth until 1997," he said.

"They said man never travel at over 30mph in a car - he'd never be able to breathe.

"As a schoolkid I loved watching Donald Campbell and 45 years later I'm still doing it.

"I've lived and breathed it - it's all I ever do.

"If I get the world record and only hold it for seven days, that'll be enough for me."
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Reverend Hedgash
Posts: 448
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Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Post by Reverend Hedgash »

"He beat it the following year, but poor conditions at Lake Gairdner salt flats stopped him from making a return run, which is a mandatory requirement to setting a new record."

Poor conditions at Lake Gairdner?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ohhhh... *ahem*

No such thing...

Go Roscoe, you can count me in for a slab. Stick it up those Poms.

I watched the interview on TV the other day, can't say you'd catch me sitting in the middle of all that fuel.

Dik
DLRA Member#412
fredeuce
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 10:39 am
Location: SA The Wino State

Roscoe

Post by fredeuce »

Yeah , I watched that segment on Catalyst on the ABC the other night too. I have to agree with Rev about sitting between all of that Hydrogen Peroxide. Brave and courageous man Roscoe. Hope he can raise the $3mil he's looking for.
fredeuce
Stayt`ie
Posts: 1041
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 11:47 pm
Location: Mackay

Post by Stayt`ie »

YEE-HARR :D , i will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year,,, now, where is me "Im Back`n McGlashan" shirt that i bought all them years ago 8) ,, :lol: :lol:
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,
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Reverend Hedgash
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:19 pm
Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Post by Reverend Hedgash »

Mmmmmmmmm... Goodwood...

I would really like to go there.

Even the temporary sculptures they have is amazing, check this baby out:

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl= ... s%3Disch:1
DLRA Member#412
penny
Posts: 335
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:30 pm
Location: adelaide

a trials bike at goodwood

Post by penny »

glengowrie annexe of the Institute of Backyard Studies
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