Steam car aims to break speed record
A team of British engineers are hoping to break the the longest-standing land speed record with a super fast steam carNicknamed the "fastest kettle in the world" Inspiration is said to be able to reach speeds of up to 170mph in a matter of seconds.
This week in California's Mojave Desert they started four days of attempts to break the current record of 127mph (204km/h) which was set in 1906 by Fred Marriott.
Driver Charles Burnett III will make several runs across the 6mile lake bed in the steam car, to set the record he must do two, two mile-long runs within 60 minutes that average out above the record speed.
The team say the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) carried in on-board tanks creates 3 megawatts of heat ... or in British engineering terms, the same as 1500 kettles and enough to make 23 cups of tea per second.
Project Manager Matt Candy said in early tests they had unofficially broken the record with a speed of 137mph: "It was an enormous achievement on Saturday and one we hope to replicate now that the FIA timing officials have joined us today. The timing equipment is currently being set up cross the 6mile lake bed."Since arriving from the UK the team has had to do a lot of preparations to the car with the effects of heat, altitude and the surface conditions."
LINKS
British Steam Car Challenge http://www.steamcar.co.uk/index.html
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