Landracing Forum
Thrust-powered Land Speed information => Discussions on absolute land speed records => Topic started by: kiwi belly tank on September 24, 2019, 01:30:20 AM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JRR44wRxM4
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VERRRRRRY Nice video, Rosco. Looking forward to seeing your schedule of test runs and the BIG GO!
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I've been following this project. Not sure why but it doesn't seem to get much attention here. Thanks for posting.
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Oh, yes I do try to provide some coverage and news about Rosco and his car. On the Home Page of this website there's a link to the monthly newsletter that Rosco sends out. Look for the Aussie Invader link - right side of the page about halfway down.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jDB84M8zXU&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tjRukpQcaE
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That's an engineering marvel for sure BUT their ''great'' roll bar design is how not to built a roll bar (CAGE]. At least bring it up to SCTA specs.
JL222
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Jon, thank you for pointing out the HOME page link to Rosco's excellent adventure. I have been following it since its inception. Terrific web page with copious quantities of facts and related information. As an engineer, I appreciate the advances in CAD design, since 1970, that allow a small operation like Aussie Invader to produce an innovative and sophisticated LSR contender. We did it with paper, pencil, and mostly slide rule back then. Gee, that car looks familiar.
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Jon, thank you for pointing out the HOME page link to Rosco's excellent adventure. I have been following it since its inception. Terrific web page with copious quantities of facts and related information. As an engineer, I appreciate the advances in CAD design, since 1970, that allow a small operation like Aussie Invader to produce an innovative and sophisticated LSR contender. We did it with paper, pencil, and mostly slide rule back then. Gee, that car looks familiar.
You're right Dick, on all levels. Whereas Invader 3 was his rendition of Thrust 2, Invader 5 is very well engineered & certainly Blue Flame-ish. Old race car builders are like a library for going fast & I hope you've been in contact with him to share the knowledge you have from the same quest. If not, I'm sure he would like to hear from you.
Sid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue9yBwh82Zk
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Here's a little more. Pics give a better scale to show how big this bullet is.
Sid.
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1079934_theres-a-second-team-aiming-to-break-the-world-land-speed-record
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Kiwi, I had contacted Rosco several years ago while his project was germinating. While my information was dated, 40 plus years, I gave him whatever I could. I tried to share the design, research, and contacts that we had in 1970. Now, 45+ years later, Rosco and his team would build on that, where appropriate, and use modern engineering design tools and their own expertise to produce the remarkable LSR car we see now being born. Maybe my information was more inspirational than technically helpful. For me, it was watching the evolution of a new generation vehicle as he overcame the many challenges to his design, construction, and financial challenges. He had his basic vision, and now we will see it attempt the "impossible" LSR targets he seeks. I hope that I had helped just a little bit.
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Same family, but much bigger than The Blue Flame. And aesthetically prettier than Bloodhound.
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Rosco has produced a project update with some interesting information on the rocket fueling system, see https://mailchi.mp/ec887568654c/aussie-invader-progress-update-october-2019 (https://mailchi.mp/ec887568654c/aussie-invader-progress-update-october-2019).
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Rosco continues to make progress on AI5R. For better or worse, most updates are posted to the Book of Face. A couple of recent posts on the rocket engine, N2 tanks, and N2 regulators are at
https://www.facebook.com/AussieInvader
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Hemmings article on Rosco and AI5R:
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2020/04/13/in-the-hunt-to-break-the-land-speed-record-rosco-mcglashans-pretty-much-the-last-one-standing
A collection of Nattering Nabobs of Negativity among the commentators.
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From the AI Book of Face page, copied w/o permission:
People often ask us why does it take so long to build a LSR car? To best explain this I put together a progressive line of predecessor models of Aussie Invader 5's...
In the foreground is the basic outline of a car which was to be powered by 2 x Aviadvigatel D-30 F6 engines from a Russian Mig 31.
The development and design of this car could not be completed until we had this engine on our shop floor, this two-shaft low-bypass turbofan was promised to us but the red tape getting it out of Russia and the language barrier put this car in the too hard basket, as well as not being able to raise the sponsor dollars needed didn't help!
Our next plan was to build a lot smaller/ lighter version of a twin GE-404 powered car, these engines are used on the FA/18 Hornet, we tried every trick in the book to secure 2 x engines (with no money of course) but only ended up after a couple of years with some pretty flash GE engine parts.
In the meantime we were approached by SpaceDev in San Diego who had just made an engine for Burt Rutan's Spaceship 1. The X-Prize winner. SpaceDev were excited to produce 2 x HTPB/nitros oxide hybrids with a 15,000 lbf rating each engine. This had never previously been achieved. We worked on this with a sponsorship arrangement for two years but later learned that the bigger the diameter of the engine casing the harder it was to maintain our fuel grain integrity. We also learnt that the loss in a depleted fuel grain volume was detrimental to a second mandatory run to claim a record. A hybrid makes less power the longer it burns, and to change engines in a one hour FIA turnaround window was impossible. We persevered with a further two models to try and perfect a quick change engine solution. Sadly our man and motivator at SpaceDev in the interim passed... RIP Jim Benson.
We are now on version 6 of Aussie Invader 5R and believe this car is the ultimate. Over 10 years have passed in design and construction time with her so far but we are getting closer to completion. Our average time devoted to each concept model was 3 years and guarantees that this business is not for the feint hearted.
Couple of interesting photos there too: https://www.facebook.com/AussieInvader
Enjoy.
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The AI team have proposed a modification to the unlimited LSR rules.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2020/06/08/aussie-invader-teams-pursuit-of-1000-mph-now-involves-quest-to-change-the-fias-land-speed-record-rules
TL;DR:
1. Two timing traps, each about 3 miles from either end of the course, one in use for each run direction. Intent is to support a 3-mile acceleration and 8-mile deceleration without requiring a 17-mile course.
2. Two-hour turnaround.
Discuss. Or not.
Be well
Tim
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My 2 cents.
Considering the speed & vehicle differences we have now compared to when LSR started, this would seem like a good idea but changing the parameters to make it easier would be an injustice to those who previously "broke" an existing record on one trap in one hour in both directions.
Back when SCTA changed from return runs to next day down runs it created the same situation & I thought at that time there should have at least been a line drawn through the record book showing the difference. As in those guys did it down & back within one hour but these new guys went back to the Motel, got a good night's sleep & put down another one the next day.
There were times back in the "return run" days when we were a red pussy hair from 400 but missed out on the record because time ran out by a few seconds.
Don't get me wrong, I totally agreed that the end of Bonneville return runs due to the lack of salt was the correct decision for safety especially after Nolan ran out of real-estate coming back toward the freeway.
To me, changing the rules/parameters you wouldn't be breaking a record, you would be claiming a record, just like Mickey Thompson Challenger, The Budweiser Rocket & the American Eagle.
Sid.
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Good point, Sid. I started doing my thing at Bonneville back in 1993 when we did same day return runs in the opposite direction. My car was simple and other than an MSD failure, it didn?t take too much time to get ready for a return run push. But the 400 mph cars take time to make a return run. I understand Rosco will have trouble refueling in a one hour time span hence, an extended turn around request.
I really don?t know the answer to this. Our dwindling resource at Bonneville is making it harder for 400/500 mph cars to run for records there. The alternative is really only Australia as Bolivia is only for the well heeled and the political situation there doesn?t make it any better.
In bicycle track racing, you can set a record anywhere in the world so long as distance is certified. FIA records are like that too. But the turnaround time is something I think should remain fixed. If you can?t build a car that can be ready for a one hour return run, well, time to rethink what you are building. Just my opinion, however.
John
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Back when SCTA changed from return runs to next day down runs it created the same situation & I thought at that time there should have at least been a line drawn through the record book showing the difference. As in those guys did it down & back within one hour but these new guys went back to the Motel, got a good night's sleep & put down another one the next day.
Sid.
Sid,
I agree that something should have been done with the existing records once the new rules went into effect. Especially when the distance required to be able to set a record changed. IMO they should have been retired, and a special part of the rule book set aside for those records stating why they were important. Sometimes I wonder how high the records would be in some classes if we were still running on the original format.
Tom G.
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To me, changing the rules/parameters you wouldn't be breaking a record, you would be claiming a record, just like Mickey Thompson Challenger, The Budweiser Rocket & the American Eagle.
Sid.
Not sure I get the inclusion of Mickey Thompson in this group Sid. Which rule(s) did he ignore/change?
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All three claimed a world record with only one run.
Sid.
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Motorcycles have 2 hours to turn around (FIA) so why not cars?
In the name of safety, I think it's a good idea.
Willi
P.S. I agree, the old "three run" records should have been preserved and set aside.
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Because we in the DLRA here in australia had to cancel our FIM ,FIA meet i have deleted my regulations . So i cant bring up the appropriat clause .
One of the regulations required in the " fine " print that the return run had to be Completed within the 1 or 2 hour window which adds extra stress
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Because we in the DLRA here in australia had to cancel our FIM ,FIA meet i have deleted my regulations . So i cant bring up the appropriat clause .
One of the regulations required in the " fine " print that the return run had to be Completed within the 1 or 2 hour window which adds extra stress
See here: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2020_appendix_d.pdf
Article D13, "Timekeeping".
Best
Tim
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All three claimed a world record with only one run.
Sid.
Thanks - I wasn't aware MT made that claim. Presumably the famous 406.60mph run in September 1960? I thought that was meant to be the first run of an official FIA attempt, and he couldn't make the return run due to a mechanical failure. So an independently-timed one-way pass, probably the fastest ever at that time, but in no way any sort of official record.
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...The alternative is really only Australia as Bolivia is only for the well heeled and the political situation there doesn?t make it any better...
Or Hakskeen Pan, South Africa of course. :-)
Actually the Bloodhound team had a choice of around 30-40 tracks around the world identified as possibles by Swansea University. Some are too remote, some not flat, some have dodgy weather etc.
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...The alternative is really only Australia as Bolivia is only for the well heeled and the political situation there doesn?t make it any better...
Or Hakskeen Pan, South Africa of course. :-)
Actually the Bloodhound team had a choice of around 30-40 tracks around the world identified as possibles by Swansea University. Some are too remote, some not flat, some have dodgy weather etc.
Can anyone other than the Bloodhound team use Hakskeen Plan at the moment? Having paid for the track to be prepared I thought they had sole use until ?. :deal ??
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the last report from the bloodhound team was if they did not get the money that they needed to pay for the rockets and other stuff that the car was not going to be on the pan next year. I think that Rosco should be given the ok to run his car at the pan.
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In the spirit of helping others, that would be nice.
Since there are so few teams left seeking an absolute LSR, perhaps folks that had been supporting other teams such as NAE or Bloodhound might want to consider helping Rosco's AI project. I consider myself to be in a "former team" category, and will plan to send some $ in the AI direction.
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ROSCO-Fastest Aussie Earth McGlashan book by Mark Read is now available at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/ROSCO-Fastest-Aussie-Earth-McGlashan/dp/B0BRLVSFKJ/
That is the link.
Buy my book, SPEEDQUEST first, of course. But, it will be a good read.
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Here is the new book on Rosco McGlashan - fastest in the southern hemisphere.
It is a good read with lots of real personal drama going fast.
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Rosco's Aussie Invader 5R has been called The Blue Flame on steroids. It is much more than that, actually. I didn't realize the immense size of Rosco's LSR car until they created a scale illustration of The Blue Flame and the Aussie Invader side-by-side. It looked larger in photos of both with crews alongside. This photo comparison tells the story.
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Here is a comparison with crew members for scale.
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Dick, it looks like the Blue flame is a pocket rocket! :-P
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Correct! But it was the right size for the job at hand in 1970.