Bloodhound LSR breaks 500mph barrier

Pilot Andy Green took Bloodhound to 501mph (806 km/h) before deploying twin parachutes to slow the car on the 10km mark.

The test run - one of several before attempting to break the world land speed record and then taking the car to 1,000mph – inadvertently triggered a test of the emergency procedures when a fire warning alert triggered in the cockpit.

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According to the Bloodhound team, Andy Green called ‘Fire, Fire, Fire’ over the radio and evacuated the cockpit through the vehicle’s hatch. Two rescue Trucks were quickly on the scene, where firefighters inspected the rear engine bay.

The alert was said to be triggered by a fire wire which is designed to burn and break at 160°C. The team added that the afternoon sun was 36°C, which, combined with the heat soak from the Eurofighter Typhoon, triggered the alert.