Landracing Forum
Thrust-powered Land Speed information => Discussions on absolute land speed records => Topic started by: TD on May 06, 2020, 01:25:55 PM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTY0shFj_C4
Taken from the Aussie Invader Book of Face page. I enjoyed it.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTY0shFj_C4
Taken from the Aussie Invader Book of Face page. I enjoyed it.
I happened to catch this last night. I thought it was excellent!
I did not know he removed the tail & closed up the nose completely for his last record. And the gear box to connect the twin engines together was a masterpiece even by todays standards.
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An engineer with seeming unlimited money and a worthy challenger, the perfect storm for a great competition. This underscores how remarkable the budget achievements of Kugel & LeFevers and (300mph stock body c class SBC) and of course Jack Costella and his many team members including Rick Yacoucci and his 400mph 260ci SBC. Genius is as genius does.
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Mike,
I really enjoyed the Eyston video, that car did not get much publicity in its day as the records were quickly surpassed by Cobb and the Railton Mobil Special. The massive transfer case and final drive in the rear of Thunderbolt looks more like a tractor pulling component than a land speed part! Too bad this car did not survive to be displayed in a museum today.
The crew initiative and dedication to the goal that resulted in the cooling system modification/addition in Wendover is admirable. If you think the CARQUEST in Wendover today is difficult to support a racing operation out of, imagine what it was like in the era when this car was running? West Wendover did not exist, the old Stateline casino was the west end of town, the Utah side hotels were all single level, and this team of British speed racers built a new aluminum water tank, nose cone, and replumbed the entire cooling system on the spot. Lucky for them the added water weight brought the CG far enough forward that removing the vertical tail (which also shifted the CP forward significantly) did not produce a negative yaw stability.
Fun to see that these early streamliner teams operated in much the same manner as today's do.
Tom Burkland
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A great video. The modifications at Bonneville shows the talent and persistence of his team. If it was easy everyone would do it.
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I thought what was especially interesting were the engines. Only a fairly limited number of them were built by Rolls Royce and they were handed around to different racing teams, automotive and aircraft, to fit into what ever type of race vehicle that they had. Eyston certainly had some balls as his very first run at Bonneville was over the existing record and over 300 mph. Lots of faith in his car and crew. Great video.
Rex
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And even today, military powerplants are favored by salt racers.
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And the military favors power plants by salt racers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lflfJJfNdtU
Ed