Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Bonneville General Chat => Topic started by: Tom Slick on December 02, 2008, 11:45:53 PM
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I'm not sure if this has been posted on here before, but it's pretty neat despite the controversy behind the runs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWnDaMIgb5c&feature=related
P.S. If the Budweiser Rocket was able to make runs at Edwards AFB, why hasn't anyone else?
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September 11, 2001
DW
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That was one tremendous achievement.
FREUD
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That was one tremendous achievement.
FREUD
It was the original SMI Motivator Rocket car
Supersonic Rocket Car
http://www.roadsters.com/bud/
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There were two cars built. One was for advertising purposes and the other one was the one that raced. The one that raced was in the Smithsonian Institution warehouse when I was fortunate to get a tour with Gordon Eliot White over ten years ago. The only way they are sure it is the racer is that it has a fuel tank. Apparently the display car was not equipped with a fuel tank because it is a very expensive part and would never be seen on the non-racing version. It was just shoved over to the side behind some early brass cars.
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There were two cars built. One was for advertising purposes and the other one was the one that raced. The one that raced was in the Smithsonian Institution warehouse when I was fortunate to get a tour with Gordon Eliot White over ten years ago. The only way they are sure it is the racer is that it has a fuel tank. Apparently the display car was not equipped with a fuel tank because it is a very expensive part and would never be seen on the non-racing version. It was just shoved over to the side behind some early brass cars.
The Budweiser Rocket was the Original SMI Motivator it was repainted with Budweiser
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There were two cars built. One was for advertising purposes and the other one was the one that raced. The one that raced was in the Smithsonian Institution warehouse when I was fortunate to get a tour with Gordon Eliot White over ten years ago. The only way they are sure it is the racer is that it has a fuel tank. Apparently the display car was not equipped with a fuel tank because it is a very expensive part and would never be seen on the non-racing version. It was just shoved over to the side behind some early brass cars.
The Budweiser Rocket was the Original SMI Motivator it was repainted with Budweiser
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This issue was before communicate.
First the SMI Motivator and the Budweiser Rocket are two different cars - the SMI was bended by run and was sold to Nina Rindt the widow of the postum formula 1 World Champion from 1970 Jochen Rindt.
Also the Budweiser had different rocket units.
At last there was three Budweiser - the Bonneville version which was bend when the car left the course due to very bad salt condition. This car stand today, modified to the Edwards version in Talladega/Alabama - means they add the sidewinder in the rear and changed the parachute tubes, but you can't see the tubes due to this that they are covered with a aero foil which was not used.
The Edwards version was in the Smithsonian and was moved to sheet in Indiana, when the Smithsonian found out that he didn't broke the soundbarrier.
The third car is a advertisment mock up which looks nearly the same as the Edwards version, only one different, on the front is a big single panel, where by the real car was two panels.
This advertisment car is by Richard Childress, the owner of the race team where the late Dale Earnhardt was driver.
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We ran the North American Eagle in October 2005 on the same track that the Budweiser Rocket car ran. We were allowed a week of testing and did two runs. It is a beautiful surface but probably to hard for future high speed runs about 600 MPH. They ran the Bud car on runway 15 but diverged off the center line by about 2 degrees in order to pass the ILS lighting system that is set up at the 6 mile. At that point, they began slowing the car but had to turn slightly to the right to use runway 17 for the finish rollout.
The problem with running today is, the Air Force has quit taking care of the other runways so fissures
and washes exist across most of the old runways. It would take a gigantic effort to smooth enough
runway to use for land speed attempts. The only runway that is cleaned of FOD is 15-33. It is 300 ft
wide and 6 miles long. All the other runways they currently use are hard surface (concrete or asphalt).
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some additional info...
http://www.thrustssc.com/thrustssc/History/Rockets_Rule.html
Woz
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Dan's answer is the correct one for your question. We did run there 3 times then Sept 11th happened.
I personally liked the last 2 years because we were off to the side away from everyone. Also the base did not make much $$ for the last 2 years............................
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You know, I saw the vids on the Bud Rocket car. I read the letter by Chuck Yeager. I've gone over all the facts and figures. Did it go supersonic? Probably not. Mach 1? Maybe. I don't think we'll ever know the whole story.
But still, supersonic or not, that thing flew like a bat outa hell. Must have been quite a ride. :-D
To give my two cents on your question, Tom, I think that it was indeed fueled by post 9/11 security. Of course, the Air Force has also had a history of doing some "interesting" projects out there, which would certainly warrant a "NO" for a LSR request...just a thought.
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Security is very tight at that base. When we ran one of the Muroc Reunion meets I heard that someone's girl friend got to wandering around one night and went into the wrong area. She went directly to AP headquarters and found release difficult obtain.
DW
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i watched the video... the car kinda looks scary compaired to thrust or the proposed bloodhound...... when that dude pulled the trigger.!..holly crap.!.!.! that thing is a down right bomb just waiting to blow up.!.!.!.... I want one.!.!.! where can i get me 6 of dem rocket thingy's.!.!.! :-o
Kent
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i watched the video... the car kinda looks scary compaired to thrust or the proposed bloodhound...... when that dude pulled the trigger.!..holly crap.!.!.! that thing is a down right bomb just waiting to blow up.!.!.!.... I want one.!.!.! where can i get me 6 of dem rocket thingy's.!.!.! :-o
Kent
Sidewinders? Good luck with those...another [likely] impossible request, courtesy of 9/11. If they said yes though... :-D