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.

Over the last few runs (450mph and 500mph) the Bloodhound LSR car received minor bodywork damage to the rear deltas, which are the aerodynamic panels that cover the rear suspension. Sand and grit kicked up by the car’s airflow has hammered a small area of the bodywork, crumpling the titanium skin-like tissue paper. The first repair failed to survive yesterday’s 491mph run, but the new patches held up unscathed.

The team is now preparing Bloodhound for a run at 550 mph, which they aim to achieve in the next few days.