Author Topic: Breaking the Land Speed Record. Unlimited Budget, How Long, How Fast, How Much?  (Read 11144 times)

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Offline J79

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My question is, if you were a billionaire and wanted to break the current Land Speed Record of 763mph by Thrust SSC

1. how long would it take you to either buy a car already made, North American Eagle, Aussie Invader, Steve Fossetts Sonic Wind... or a make a custom made car and break the current 763mph record?
2. what would you use for power?
3. what speed could you easily reach?
4. how much do you think it would cost? Say that you agree to pay workers $50,000 per year, pay all their living expenses while working, provide free food and sleeping rooms, and pay their normal bills at home so they don't go broke while working to build/run the car?
5. include anything else you think would be important.

I just watched the SpaceX launch of their heavy rocket and saw the 2 rocket boosters land upright, side by side, which goes to show you that a land speed record should be obtainable compared to that. This 1 minute video shows the boosters as they fire their rockets prior to landing with sonic booms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_kfM-BmVzQ

10 most wealthiest people in the US as an example of who could easily afford it:
Bill Gates of Microsoft 81 Billion
Jeff Bezos of Amazon 67 Billion
Warren Buffet Bershire Hathaway 65 Billion
Mark Zuckerber Facebook 55 Billion
Larry Ellison Oracle 49 Billion
Michael Bloomberg Bloomberg LP 45 Billion
Charles Koch 42 Billion
David Koch 42 Billion
Larry Page Google 38 Billion
Sergey Brin Google 37 Billion

« Last Edit: February 11, 2018, 05:43:24 PM by J79 »
"My, people come and go so quickly here." Dorothy, from the movie Wizard of Oz.

"I have marveled often at the thin line that divides success from failure, and the sudden turn that leads from apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer, 1874-1922.

From the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Jack D. Ripper:

"Mandrake, in the name of Her Majesty and the Continental Congress come here and feed me this belt boy... Mandrake, come over here, the Red Coats are coming!"

"He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious "automotive" bodily fluids."

Offline RichFox

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I think you would need some pretty talented engineering staff. Several fabricators of better than A&P skills. And other people I have not thought of. So unless they were really interested in the project, and probably even if they are, $50,000 is not going to be to enticing. You would think someone like Larry Elason, who pays for Americas Cup boats, would be into this kind of thing. It would be chump change for him.

Offline J79

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RichFox. The wealthy car owner was offering to pay all your living expense while working on the car, pay $50,000 a year as payment and pay all living expenses of that person at home so if they had a home, apartment, shop...those expenses would be paid, so it might be more like $100,000 per year. I know that doesn't change much, but it's something.
"My, people come and go so quickly here." Dorothy, from the movie Wizard of Oz.

"I have marveled often at the thin line that divides success from failure, and the sudden turn that leads from apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer, 1874-1922.

From the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Jack D. Ripper:

"Mandrake, in the name of Her Majesty and the Continental Congress come here and feed me this belt boy... Mandrake, come over here, the Red Coats are coming!"

"He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious "automotive" bodily fluids."

Offline WhizzbangK.C.

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RichFox. The wealthy car owner was offering to pay all your living expense while working on the car, pay $50,000 a year as payment and pay all living expenses of that person at home so if they had a home, apartment, shop...those expenses would be paid, so it might be more like $100,000 per year. I know that doesn't change much, but it's something.

The quality and qualifications that would be required of individuals in the team, to accomplish what you suggest, would most certainly mean that they already have long term stable employment at rates competitive (at least) to what you suggest. I would think that hiring those folks away from a stable situation for a limited engagement would require significant sweetening of the deal.
Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of.  Douglas Adams

Offline dw230

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You forgot #6(maybe the most important) Where would you run this thing?
DW
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Offline panic

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Ellison is the only one even remotely interested.
$50K won't buy anyone good, not even me!

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Say that you agree to pay workers $50,000 per year, pay all their living expenses while working, provide free food and sleeping rooms, and pay their normal bills at home so they don't go broke while working to build/run the car?


That's starting to sound like a backstory for a James Bond film.

I can see the classified ad in Soldier of Fortune, or Hot Rod:

Wanted - Minions.  Minimum of a bachelor's degree in rocket science and/or automotive engineering, must be able to rappel from catwalks and have verifiable weapons handling capabilities.  Contact Human Resources at either SPECTRE or Penske.  Non disclosure agreement required.

Build it on a private island in a dormant volcano, and use the tram to get back and forth from the build room to the dormitories.

  :wink:
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Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline kiwi belly tank

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The water record is "ONLY 317" & there are many venue options.
  Sid.

Offline fordboy628

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  • GONE FISHIN' . . .

I think you would need some pretty talented engineering staff. Several fabricators of better than A&P skills. And other people I have not thought of. So unless they were really interested in the project, and probably even if they are, $50,000 is not going to be to enticing. You would think someone like Larry Elason, who pays for Americas Cup boats, would be into this kind of thing. It would be chump change for him.




RichFox. The wealthy car owner was offering to pay all your living expense while working on the car, pay $50,000 a year as payment and pay all living expenses of that person at home so if they had a home, apartment, shop...those expenses would be paid, so it might be more like $100,000 per year. I know that doesn't change much, but it's something.




The quality and qualifications that would be required of individuals in the team, to accomplish what you suggest, would most certainly mean that they already have long term stable employment at rates competitive (at least) to what you suggest. I would think that hiring those folks away from a stable situation for a limited engagement would require significant sweetening of the deal.



After having worked for some professional teams, I'd like to inject some reality here . . . . . . .

A/    The "talent pool" of engineers who want to be "involved in racing" is huge.     No experience, no practical knowledge, and probably unsuited for the high pressure racing environment.    In contrast, the talent pool of engineers proven to be successful in racing, is small.    Much smaller than the demand for competent, proven talent.

2/    $100K/year, under contract, will not interest anyone I know of to even consider your offer.     Really good, talented guys, KNOW that they are good.   WHY?   They are constantly getting offers from alternate teams to "jump" to a competitors operation.     It is why they are "under contract" for "serious money", usually in multi-year deals.     The only guys willing to "jump" would be minions, perhaps talented, probably not.

d/    There is no shortage of wealthy team owners, and would be team owners.     WHY?     There is "no shortage" of money at the "top" of the economy.      Most of these wealthy individuals are Type "A" personalities.    That's how they got their wealth.     They are, as a rule with few exceptions, demanding and ignorant.     They demand results, regardless of the circumstances.     It makes the likes of them very difficult to work with, or to "work for".     Make no mistake about it, they will remind you at every opportunity, YOU work for THEM.     This presents a diplomatic challenge to "the talent".     Let your imagination run wild.     Really successful team owners recognize that their success depends on retaining their "most talented" individuals.     These types need motivation to stay put.    And if the owner is just a wealthy asshat, the operation becomes a revolving door, where the talented can write their own ticket at a competitors shop, usually just down the road . . . . .

z/    The wealth of talent required to make such a venture potentially possible, staggers my mind.    My "NO SH**" estimate would be to total up the talent involved with "Speed Demon" and factor that by a level of magnitude.     That is:  times 10 . . . . . .      Think that is outrageous?      Think about it again . . . . . . . .

JMHO . . . .

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Offline J79

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You forgot #6(maybe the most important) Where would you run this thing?
DW
Run it the same place where the North American Eagle, Aussie Invader, Thrust SSC (Black Rock Nevada), Bloodhound are going/went.
"My, people come and go so quickly here." Dorothy, from the movie Wizard of Oz.

"I have marveled often at the thin line that divides success from failure, and the sudden turn that leads from apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer, 1874-1922.

From the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Jack D. Ripper:

"Mandrake, in the name of Her Majesty and the Continental Congress come here and feed me this belt boy... Mandrake, come over here, the Red Coats are coming!"

"He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious "automotive" bodily fluids."

Offline J79

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The water record is "ONLY 317" & there are many venue options.
  Sid.
What percent more power do you need to break a record on water as compared to land?
"My, people come and go so quickly here." Dorothy, from the movie Wizard of Oz.

"I have marveled often at the thin line that divides success from failure, and the sudden turn that leads from apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer, 1874-1922.

From the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Jack D. Ripper:

"Mandrake, in the name of Her Majesty and the Continental Congress come here and feed me this belt boy... Mandrake, come over here, the Red Coats are coming!"

"He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious "automotive" bodily fluids."

Offline Malcolm UK

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"More power" than what baseline?

Too many variables to be considered in a single sentence.

 

Malcolm UK, Derby, England.

Offline J79

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For example, if 1,000 horsepower will get you 200mph, how fast will 1,000 horsepower get you on the water. Just use averages and avoid the extremes.

"More power" than what baseline?

Too many variables to be considered in a single sentence.

 


"My, people come and go so quickly here." Dorothy, from the movie Wizard of Oz.

"I have marveled often at the thin line that divides success from failure, and the sudden turn that leads from apparently certain disaster to comparative safety." Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer, 1874-1922.

From the movie Dr. Strangelove, General Jack D. Ripper:

"Mandrake, in the name of Her Majesty and the Continental Congress come here and feed me this belt boy... Mandrake, come over here, the Red Coats are coming!"

"He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious "automotive" bodily fluids."

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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For example, if 1,000 horsepower will get you 200mph, how fast will 1,000 horsepower get you on the water. Just use averages and avoid the extremes.

I think 160 Hp should get you over 200 MPH on the salt'

John
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Offline Stan Back

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How fast would you be going if they dropped you from 10,000 feet into the traps at the five?
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