Land speed record: Flying colours

Design engineer Annie Berrisford gives her fifth insider’s view on the BLOODHOUND SCC team’s attempt to smash the land speed record – and break the 1000 mph barrier in the process. Follow the car’s progress with Annie’s exclusive monthly blog for Focus.

Entry 5 <previous next>

This month has seen a major milestone for the BLOODHOUND Project – and probably one of the most exciting moments for me so far.

Our EJ200 jet engine has been fired up and run on the Rolls-Royce test stand. It is the actual engine that will be fitted to the car to break a new World Land Speed Record! We watched as they fired up the engine, and we were given a chance to throttle it to full re-heat.

Whilst this was great fun for all those involved it also served the purpose of proving our engine and making sure that it is in full working order, prior to it being fitted in the car. The EJ200 had a full health check and we are pleased to report has passed with flying colours!

The last few weeks have also been very busy with preparations for the numerous shows that BLOODHOUND has been attending. These include the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and Farnborough International Airshow. The Airshow was the first time we assembled all 12.8 meters of the full sized show car. As you can see from the photos, it looks fantastic!

Read Annie's other exclusive blog posts

• Land speed record: Record breakers
• Land speed record: Supersonic clothes
• Land speed record: Avoiding a big bang
• Land speed record: Under your skin