Author Topic: Rosco  (Read 11641 times)

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Offline kiwi belly tank

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Rosco
« on: September 24, 2019, 01:30:20 AM »

Offline MAYOMAN

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2019, 08:07:20 AM »
VERRRRRRY Nice video, Rosco. Looking forward to seeing your schedule of test runs and the BIG GO!
The road is long - Life is short - Drive fast

Offline TD

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2019, 08:14:58 AM »
I've been following this project. Not sure why but it doesn't seem to get much attention here. Thanks for posting.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2019, 08:22:46 AM »
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.
Jon E. Wennerberg
 a/k/a Seldom Seen Slim
 Skandia, Michigan
 (that's way up north)
2 Club member x2
Owner of landracing.com

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Offline jl222

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2019, 10:34:35 PM »
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
« Last Edit: September 24, 2019, 10:38:19 PM by jl222 »

Offline MAYOMAN

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2019, 08:03:41 AM »
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.
The road is long - Life is short - Drive fast

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2019, 12:09:08 PM »
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

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2019, 12:19:50 PM »
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

Offline MAYOMAN

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2019, 08:01:28 AM »
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.
The road is long - Life is short - Drive fast

Offline N72727

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2019, 07:24:19 AM »
Same family, but much bigger than The Blue Flame. And aesthetically prettier than Bloodhound.

Offline TD

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2019, 03:28:00 PM »
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.

Offline TD

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2020, 02:18:19 PM »
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

Offline TD

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2020, 06:31:55 PM »
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.

Offline TD

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Re: Rosco
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2020, 09:08:00 AM »
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.