RAF ANDY IS ON THE LIMIT WITH BLOODHOUND BID
05 February 2010
COMBAT-hardened RAF pilot Wg Cdr Andy Green is used to life in the fast lane. Already the fastest man on the planet, he is out to smash his own world land speed record which stands at nearly 770 mph, by driving the awesome Bloodhound SSC at more than 1000 mph across a dry river bed in South Africa.
It is an ambitious project that will harness cutting edge aeronautical and aerodynamic technology and test the powerful Typhoon EJ200 jet engine beyond the limits demanded by the latest generation of RAF fighter.
The numbers are head- spinning.
His current world land speed record, achieved in the rocket-powered Thrust SSC stands at 763 mph. To deliver an extra 237 mph and pass the magic 1000 mph mark demands almost twice as much power – while the stress loading on the high tech carbon fibre and aluminium body will rise by a machine- crushing 70 per cent.
He said: “The numbers involved are huge. We will be near the absolute limit of the Typhoon engine that powers Bloodhound.
“The safety requirement is also massive. We will not get to where we want to be by simply staging the world’s biggest and most dramatic car crash.”
The technological challenge is what powers the Bloodhound project.
Both Andy Green and his mentor, Bloodhound director Richard Noble, are passionate about what the project will do to promote science and technology and inspire the next generation of UK scientists.
Andy said: “This project is all about education. Why aim for 1000mph? Because it is the achieveable limit of technology. If you want to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers you need something that is massive to get youngsters’ attention.”
The design team is currently based at the West of England University and the Bloodhound project is already proving its pulling power. Admissions to science courses are up 30 per cent and with more than 3000 schools across the UK involved, the RAF-backed bid is blazing a trail for UK science and technology in the way the Apollo moon landings did for the USA back in the 1960s.
Andy said: “This is as extraordinary as the first NASA space shots. Back then people were wondering if it was even possible. With satellite TV and the internet we can reach even more people. We can get today’s kids as excited as people were then. That is the real value of this project.”
But what about the man who will be strapping himself into the fastest vehicle ever built? As an experienced RAF pilot who has proved his skills on Operational duty he is used to the dynamics of supersonic speed.
Modest about his own role in the ground-breaking, earth- shaking, sound barrier- shattering Bloodhound bid he says the key is to stay focused on the task in hand. “How can you train for something like this ? The best way is to join the RAF and fly fast jets. There’s no preparation like it.
“We aim to go faster than any other aircraft has ever flown at low level. At the moment that honour goes to a Starfighter which clocked up 994 mph. If our sums are right, and we have a lot of brain power backing us, we will beat that.”
When it comes to doing the sums, Andy has all the right credentials. A gifted mathematician, he took a first class degree from Oxford University before joining the RAF and has maintained a life-long love of the subject.
“The aerodynamics are very complicated and we are doing a lot with fluid dynamics as well. We have some of the best minds in the UK working with us on this.
"It does help a lot that I understand the equations behind a lot of what we do. It is fantastic when you see how the numbers and theories are put to the test. It is the application of the science that fascinates me.”
It seems to fascinate many of the young people involved in the project too.
Andy said: “The principle behind Bloodhound has always been to showcase technology and get young people hooked on what is possible. Their involvement has thrown up some very interesting ideas with real value.”
Engine testing takes place later this month and the Bloodhound team are confident they are on schedule to mount their 1000 mph bid in 2012.
