North American Eagle

[MX304]

I believe they said they have 10.5 miles of really good surface to work with.

That information is useful since the news was released by Jessi that she got to the edge of the desert.

It is interesting and confusing that the facebook photo she has posted shows three clear wheel tracks, suggesting they have indeed got the vehicle to be the same as SMI Motivator for her. The middle track seems to have been carrying more load as she braked hard!

The confusion is that the FIM do not list the attempt, so has it been notified to them? www.fim-live.com/worldspeedrecords

The FIA have only ever differentiated between jet engine(s) and rocket engine(s), so even with one power unit to set a record NAE would have to beat Thrust SSC at 763+ mph, or do they?

I think she went off the side of the course to the edge of the rough stuff down the sides, not to far end in a straight line. I think the single engine "record" the are talking about would be trying to go faster than Thrust 2's 633 mph record speed.

[joea]

does anyone know the speeds achieved...?...

I wasnt staring at screen all day to see if and when the telemetry might
come up...and havent received any of the updates after signing up for them...

Jessi Combs FB says "faster then she has ever gone"...

which is awesome...

just a mystery as to the actual speed'

they broadcasting "globally" in real time ...?....so hoping someone
caught it....as I havent seen any announcement of a number,
just "faster then ever"

[racefanwfo]

What in the hell is the NAE team doing other then not trying to break the record that THRUST SSC set in 97. Yo ed its time to push the throttle forward and get the car going towards record speed.

[joea]

They indicated they are currently shooting to get Jessi faster than the Kitty Oneils speed from 1976...

then  for the Brits speeds from 1983 ....

on their way in future to the Brits speeds from 97 ..

[ski123]

Looks like the project is done.  Jessi was off track but stayed out of the bush.
Packing up the car, no speeds given ( nothing new ).  All according to
NAE and Jessi's Facebook pages.  Back to the drawing board?

[MX304]

Saw this on Instagram from one of the crew members:

"A moment of silence is needed as being apart of the #northamericaneagle family for 7 years and bringing @thejessicombs to the family to become the #fastestfemale we have had the worst luck this year in history of the #jetcar as we had a #mayday call and #searchandrescue for a crashed plane that was bringing us parts with an ET. Of landing at 11:30 and lost communication when he was 20 min out we then find him at 3:30am in his plan with out a scratch on him and a wrecked plane. Jessi then kept her trust with us got the car figured out with a low speed pass and car working good Jessi then runs a faster then she has ever been bringing the car to a stop in the bushes as safety goes when one safety equipment fails never give up and trust the rest that u have and drive the car to the best of the ability to save ur self. A few big major parts the car need to be re designed and tested before the car is ever to run again so a scare like this is never an option or a chance."

[4-barrel Mike]

https://www.facebook.com/NorthAmericanEagle

"By the time I realized I was closer to the timing van than in between the timing lights where I should have been, I aborted mission..."

Mike

[racefanwfo]

I am glad that the only damage was to the car. So where does that leave the team. I hate to say it but i think that the NAE is done. I am sure that the BLOODHOUND team is going to put the record out of reach before the NAE runs again. It seems like all the hard work that went into the car is all for naught. It would have been cool to see the NAE go supersonic.

[Malcolm UK]

Some might (cruelly ) suggest that a single engined jet car could not have taken on Thrust SSC. They still have the two goals of the project which were listed above - a female record and a single jet speed record - to attain. And perhaps they have a year in which to return to Alvord.

[wobblywalrus]

Congratulations, Ed and crew.  You had a dream, built a vehicle, brought it through the testing phase, and made a serious run for a record.  Plus, you did it on a course that was mostly your own work to make viable...and in a jet plane without wings on a hot-rodder's budget.  That is a heck of a big accomplishment.

[Texican]

    We were sitting in the U-Haul that housed the timing equip.

My guess was "about 450".
Data showed about that at time of cutoff.

Later while checking wires prior to rewinding; and measuring from the tracks left; I paced off 100 yards to West of 1st set of lights, then 231 yards due East of our perch at passage.
Pretty impressive at less than 700'!

  Ed is promising a large press release on Monday.
Stay tuned
Jim.





'

[racefanwfo]

Well eds update today was a little disappointing. All he talked about was how they where not able to break the two non existentence records that they keep harping about. Ed did not say anything about any damage to the car on the last run. There was no info about how long it will be before the car runs again. I still think that BLOODHOUND SSC is going put the record out of reach before the NAE ever runs again. I was  not impressed with eds post today. Time is short ed BLOODHOUND is comming.

[F104A]

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/jet-powered-car-streams-data-microsoft-team-world-speed-record-attempts/

I didn't write the update or the press release. It was done by the media people at Microsoft with input from our IT kid who wasn't at the session. The real story is much bigger and has more technical detail in it. When I get it finished up in a document form, I'll share it with all of you. The basic story is that we started out with some similar steering issues like we experienced last year but figured out what was wrong and corrected it. The side story is that we needed some adjustable, directional flow restrictors we had in the shop and we needed them ASAP. On Tuesday evening a friend flew the parts down to us and was expected to land on the lakebed at about 10:30 PM. As in nearly all aviation accidents, one problem was compounded by another problem then another problem which resulted in the airplane crashing in the dark about 10 miles South of our location. We were able to find him (no thanks to the FAA or 911 dispatcher) by 3:30 AM. We returned to camp, installed the parts and I made a test pass in the early afternoon. I began my run at about the 2 mile and went past the 6 mile in full afterburner at 380 mph. The Eagle went straight as an arrow and we knew we had solved the steering issue. We scheduled a run for the next morning with Jessi in the cockpit. At the 2 mile marker she was traveling a little over 100 mph then went into AB and was at 320 at the 3 mile. A cross wind pushed her to the right of the course and she backed out but hit a weenie cone at the 4 mile and decapitated it. We pulled back to the pits for refuel and inspection for any damage from the cone. All was well so we pulled down to the start line at the South end of the lakebed. We knew a weather front was coming in so we needed to get this done before the winds picked up. We held for quite some time as winds kept gusting and dust was blowing. About 4 PM, we began the roll. Jessi went into AB by the 1 mile marker and kept it in all the way past the 6. The wind had blown down the 6 mile marker so she may not have been able to see it at 477 MPH.. The wind blew the Eagle off course just enough so she was headed slightly West of the end of the lakebed which is about a half mile shorter than the marked course. Jessi backed off the throttle, deployed the speed brakes, fired the high speed chute. No Chute! She was full on the magnetic brakes and fired the second chute, NO Chute! Now she was closing in on the end of the lakebed so she is now pulling on the nose brake too. She felt she was still going pretty fast at the last 100 yards when the Eagle started slowing well and the Eagle went about 30 feet into the sagebrush at the end of the lakebed. Jessi was safe and the Eagle wan't damaged. Inspection of the chutes indicated the high speed chute had fired but the trap door didn't open due to a bind in the link that pulls the release. The Low Speed chute failed due to a newly replaced magnetic reed switch that had an internal malfunction. Bad timing for both chutes to have mechanical and electrical failures at the same time! By the time we got back to the pits and digested all the events of the day, that weather front was headed our way and the wind started blowing like hell. The packup on Friday was miserable but we were off the lakebed by about noon. All in all, it was a crazy event filled week but we did validate our steering modifications and the knowledge that the horsepower from the Eagle is working as advertised. The thrust never dropped off and it accelerated like a beast with no limits. We need better course markings and a longer (Diamond Valley?) course as we have pushed Alvord to the limit. We'll be back with more confidence than ever that we can do it!!!

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Ed-- CONGRATULATIONS on your efforts this year.  No record speeds- but lots of learning and come on, admit it -- some fun, too.   

[SPARKY]

   To ED and Crew