Landracing Forum
Thrust-powered Land Speed information => Discussions on absolute land speed records => Topic started by: F104A on October 23, 2010, 01:14:34 AM
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I haven't posted a press release yet but here is the latest: We've chosen to cancel our testing session at Edwards AFB. After all the meetings, emails, phone calls and what not, the Air Force still wants $26,500.00 administrative fees to run on Rogers Dry Lake. That doesn't include motels, meals, grooming the lakebed and other travel expenses. I figured it would be a $60,000.00 week. With all the other rules, regulations and restrictions it just didn't seem logical to continue thinking about using Edwards AFB as a test site. We've pretty much taken Edwards off our list of desirable sites to run on. They could have given us 11.5 miles and it certainly would have been a great location for media coverage and other positives but we just could not afford them. I've met with the BLM to discuss and survey two other sites that have as nice of a surface and can give us 15 miles. I'll be working on those locations over the next few weeks to decide which one we will choose. Meanwhile, we are concentrating on our CFD analysis and other details to get the NAE ready to go fast at the first opportunity..........Ed
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Thanks for the updates. I am sorry that Edwards could not see your runs as a net benefit for them instead of just a revenue source. It's not like you were going to wreck the whole desert. Please keep us updated and let us know of any public events such as engine tests.
Don
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...so you and everyone else you know pays their salaries and pays
for everything they have, and they want to charge you to use
what is regulated by the government....?..
doesn't somebody here, know someone somewhere that can bring
this to fruition..?..
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It is obvious that the controlling interests dont want LSR on Edwards ... They just create a fantastic use price that in all probability no one will meet and it kills the deal ... If someone meets the price there will be other conditions created to kill the deal ...
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...so you and everyone else you know pays their salaries and pays
for everything they have, and they want to charge you to use
what is regulated by the government....?..
doesn't somebody here, know someone somewhere that can bring
this to fruition..?..
Hey..... isn't this the description of the quintissential "american way"? ... the rule of supply and demand...... The Airforce has a flat bed of land...... a person wants to use it..... hmmm.... well.... go find another piece of flat land then.....
I am not attempting to justify the Airforce's stupidly exhorbitant fees.... afterall.... when did a government military force suddenly become a "for profit" organization?... if such had been the case since WW2..... America would have no debt..... as all countires of the world would be paying their debts to the USA for services rendered in keeping them "free".... or whatever it was that was done for them....
oh well.... lol
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I probably should have posted that in the humor section.....
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yes should have been in humor section as your second paragraph
hillariously disputed your first one.......
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yes should have been in humor section as your second paragraph
hillariously disputed your first one.......
yep, almost as funny as a Canadian explaining the "quintissential american way"!! :-D
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It is obvious that the controlling interests dont want LSR on Edwards ...
Inspite of this an American, bank rolling a British project, got to run his steam car on the prepared surface of the lake bed for official records.
Malcolm UK
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...... and if reality was only as simple as the classic description of the american way should have it be...... sigh.....
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To paraphrase Geo. Bernard Shaw, "Three countries divided by a common language."
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http://www.landspeed.com/files/FOR%20IMMEDIATE%20RELEAS1.pdf
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so does that mean ed is no longer going to drive the car.
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Nope, Ed is still driving the car. Leslie will drive for certain records but the BIG one is still mine!
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Great marketing campaign to draw in sponsorship money. It seems like it would be the only logical explanation.
It's hard to share precious seat time when the experience of piloting such a vehicle is at a premium.
What other records are there for that type of vehicle other then the ultimate goal. The ultimate record seems like it should be the only one in mind, others might lengthen the possiblity of the real goal.
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I can't figure out any other reason for bringing Porterfield on board as the driver other than to draw attention to the project and possibly sponsors. "Look it's a GIRL in that thing!" If they wanted a fast bike rider, there are quite a few others in this sport who have far more qualifications. But Leslie does have a track record of more getting attention for doing the same thing that others have done, so that is important to the project.
Good luck to the North American Eagle Team. I truly hope this works for you and you get some runs going.
Don
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Will it be Kitty O'Neil's record you are trying to break this fall?
That seems like quite a goal for 2011, let's see some runs!
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it looks to me like fastest woman in the world on land would be Kitty O'neil..?...
http://www.landspeed.com/updates/December/oneil.html
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Kitty does hold the FIM record at 514 MPH, set in 1977. She, however, does not hold the FIA record. That is held by Andy Green. The bragging rights are held by Tanis Hammond for the worlds fastest FIA record by a female. Yes I do realize there is no catagory for Female vs Male but it certainly is BRAGGING RIGHTS. If we are capable of running
over 634 MPH, we will be able to claim the title of the fastest "single engine" vehicle, even thought there is no real distinction for that either. If it will help us find sponsorship
to finish the mission, then let's give it a go. Yes, there are many very qualified female racers. I've spoken to ladies in the motorcycle business, the drag racing business, the Indy car
business and even a few test pilots at Edwards AFB. Most cannot drive our car because of contractual obligations. Some just said NO THANKS. Leslie took a couple years to
think it over then said yes, after she met the team and got up close and personal with the car. I happen to think this is a positive step, good for our sport and good for women.
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I think this is a great move. Good luck to Ed, Leslie and the team.
DW
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When I spoke with Charles at the FIM a few years ago they had 'lost' all of their records in the rocket three wheel category including Kitty O'Neil's SMI Motivator attempt at Alvord.
Paula Elstrek drove Aussie Invader 3 for Rosco, but did not set any records. Speed was 575 kph apparently. Seems to be very American to put lady drivers into jet cars - Breedlove, Arfons did it.
Whilst the FIA may distinguish between jets and rockets - now what will they do with BLOODHOUBD SSC? - I doubt that there will ever be any distinction between one, two or even three engines in a vehicle. But the NZ team are hoping they too will get above Richard's Thrust 2 633 mph.
Whatever it takes to keep a project moving forward is good for the team. Hope you get a good track and weather.
Malcolm
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"""""When I spoke with Charles at the FIM a few years ago they had 'lost' all of their records in the rocket three wheel category including Kitty O'Neil's SMI Motivator attempt at Alvord."""""
that is REALLY a SHAME...when the sanctioning body...considered (by some) to be the "world land speed"
authority....(come back LSA..?..:))....does so little after demanding so much in terms of money-effort-and respect...
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Joe
Having seen a copy of the report of the attempt by Earl Flanders, headed as being made on behalf of the FIM and stating the bid was for a woman's kilo record, but subject to FIM accreditation, I wonder how many US record 'results' were not fully processed by the International governing body?
The FIM are not at fault in this instance because it would be 'politically incorrect' to maintain any gender differentiating records, especially as in the class (thrust powered, three wheelers) it was slower than the male speed record - 526mph. All International bodies have removed any reference to gender - land (FIA, FIM) & water (UIM).
Malcolm
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Thanks for that info Malcom.....!!!
was the other three wheel record info lost..?...
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are they biassed :? toward side cars :-D
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I do not know what happened to the record of Craig Breedlove in the FIM listings - they were the governing body for two and three wheeled motorsport and assessed Craig's records in their jet category a year before the four wheeled world woke up to thrust power. I was told that the SMI Motivator/Budweiser attempts probably did not come under FIM governance - maybe others know if that is true. They may have been National attempts if the AMA were present.
In view of the rules of the FIM, I had expected at least one unlimited team to use their rules to exceed the supersonic speed of Andy Green and to go on towards the sound barrier in a three wheeled vehicle. Not one of my better predictions.
I am sure the FIM love motorcycles and sidecars as much as cyclecars :roll:
Malcolm
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About Breedlove and Kitty O'Neill.
The Breedlove record is a victim of the record freeze which was done by the FIM to clean up there record books and get the amount on different classes and records again under controll.
So, the Breedlove record which was set in 1963 will stay forever...it can't be broken anymore....due to this, that after the freeze this category exist not anymore...
By the way, the later Three Wheeler records from Breedlove in 1964 was certified by the FIA....they don't like to have that the FIM had a faster record.....
To Kitty...she drove the 512 mph average in 1976 in Oregon....inside the FIM rules....this was confirmed...but the speed was never request to the FIM to be certified...and they
also never paid the fee to be certified....maybe Hal Needham was not happy that she handles the rocket car better than he does......also Kitty had driven the car faster as him to this time.....later, when Hal run the car on a other location they announced a faster speed for him....but there is no paper known....also he bent the car on this run so the racer had to be retired and was sold to Nina Rindt.
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We do know and understand the rules. We are only going after officially timed runs with Leslie so we can put it in the Guiness book. We do know that
those records are sometimes not "official" but are agreed upon by the Guiness folks so they can put them into their book. We are doing this to hopefully
find sponsorship support. Who knows, if Leslie is willing and able, and I'm to old and lame, she might have to go after the big record.
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We're scheduled for a safety review board meeting in the next few days to let the Air Force decide if they
are going to support us in our medium speed test runs (400 to 600) this fall or early summer. If the weather
cooperates, we'll spend a couple weeks on the lakebed. If not, we'll try to get some test time in May or June.
We finally have some positive support from the Air Force. Wait and see!
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That sounds like great news Ed. I hope it all works out for you.
Pete
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I have a question ed. I know that you are shooting for 800mph but roscoe and richard are shooting for 1000mph. Lets say that one of the other guys is able to set a record of 800mph or above where does that put your project. How fast do you think that your car can go and will it go faster then 800mph. I would like to see you bring the record back to the USA. It seems that richard has the best chance because he has the whole D A M N country behind him and i know that you have been funding your project on your own dime.
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We're scheduled for a safety review board meeting in the next few days to let the Air Force decide if they
are going to support us in our medium speed test runs (400 to 600) this fall or early summer. If the weather
cooperates, we'll spend a couple weeks on the lakebed. If not, we'll try to get some test time in May or June.
We finally have some positive support from the Air Force. Wait and see!
May or june would work better with my schedule :wink: :-D
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Our mission, at this time, is to bring the world land speed record back to North America. We'd also like to be the first over 800. With
Noble and McGlashen working hard to get something on the ground, we know we have limited time. I expect to see some test runs
out of the British camp by next fall but don't expect to see Rosco on the ground until the following year. I just hope we can get
funding and some support from our government to let us run somewhere in the USA, preferably Diamond Valley. We also think
the 104 is capable of well over 800 but not in it's current configuration. We'll look toward our first mission as the real mission but
knowing there could be more in the future. We'll see...........
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Best wishes. I think Leslie will be an asset to your program. :cheers:
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Good article in this months Racecar Engineering magazine.
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/category/articles/land-speed-record/
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Great article, thanks for sharing.
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Very good article. :cheers:
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Interesting article written about the life of the North American Eagle from beginning to now.
http://www.i-f-s.nl/cn/183-1051.html