The demise of Bloodhound SSC is a worrying sign that we no longer dare to dream writes our anonymous blogger.
Everything was going fine for the run up to Christmas in the Secret Engineer household; at least until I received the news that Bloodhound SSC had, after a few rocky years, finally come to an end as a project.
Breaking records has always been difficult so the odds were stacked against them (just look at all those who have started with grand schemes and failed since Thrust 2 took the honours) but to have got the car 90% there and running, then to fall at this late stage is such a shame. Although hardly on the same level as plague or famine, I do think it is yet another sign that humanity is losing its way.
Most items that we design and produce have a finite life due to fashion, entropy or progress driven obsolescence. This is the way of things and why we no longer live in caves or commute by steam powered train. It is what has brought humanity to our current position and it’s fine so long as the replacement at any given time is markedly better.
Of course there will always be false starts, dead ends and stuff that is just too advanced for current technology to support: but this is still a fundamental part of how we move forward as a species. We try, we sometimes fail but we always move on.
With the the loss of Concorde and the Space Shuttle without conspicuously better replacements, and now Bloodhound seemingly forever to be denied its place in history, I believe we are stepping back from our destiny rather than moving towards it.
The Shuttle and Concorde do not represent perfection, and in fact had notable problems but they were projects that were ground breaking and seemed like science fiction come to life when they first flew. They inspired me and, I’m sure, many others with regard to what we did with our lives. What is more they represented a game changing move forwards. The problem isn’t that their time has gone but rather that they were not replaced with something equally inspirational.
Whether you think that the achievement of superlatives is a distraction or not the fact remains that they fire the imagination and expand the concept of what is possible
Of course this need not be purely about speed and flames, but it does need to be something that captures the imagination. For example, electric cars may be seen as the way forward but where are the pioneers and heroes to bring interest and glamour to them? Do you know what the current electric car speed record is or who set it without recourse to the interweb?
There are, I think two problems illustrated by all this. The first is the need for grand projects – community and commercial organisations leading the way with conspicuous agendas for advancement. The second is to create or drive a public interest that means those who work away in their sheds all over the world, and who are excelling in their chosen area of expertise, have their exploits covered and promoted.
Whether you think that the achievement of superlatives is a distraction or not the fact remains that they fire the imagination and expand the concept of what is possible. Humanity as a whole survives and prospers through following where the pioneers lead. Bloodhound is significant because of the ephemeral as well as physical. It gives a real life demonstration of the finer aspects of humanity and life – it sets a focus on our most admirable traits. It is the application of knowledge, skill and courage in the pursuit of a goal purely for the sake of attainment.
Bloodhound SSC was in fact primarily an educational venture that sought to inspire children to follow careers in engineering and science, i.e. those who may eventually unlock the door to “clean energy” or higher efficiency in the use of our raw materials. For the sake of the future I hope that the times we are living in are merely a blip and once more the world wakes up to the need to encourage following generations in the pursuit of excellence. Either way we should be concerned about Bloodhound’s stillbirth because the subsequent thwarting of potential isn’t just limited to the car itself.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have written.
It is more than just a glamour exercise to follow these seemingly crazy objectives, we as humans need to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible. If we fail to do this we will forever be a one planet people, and we may as well start only reading one book too as life will have lost its meaning.
The genius that is TRUMP! wanted to make the US great again, stuff that lets make the world great!
Developments learned whilst chasing these dreams lead to advancements in multitudes of differing fields. The only other time this happens is when we all go to war, and I for one don’t want to see that in anyone’s life time.
It is a great shame that this country can not find the money to support these projects, either from an individual or from government willing to waste money on pointless other projects!
I would have thought this was a great project for Virgin to get involved with… Come on Branson!
It’s a jet-propelled sled. Far better to focus on projects like Reaction Engines’ Sabre air-breathing rocket propulsion system, which has the potential to give the UK a world lead in a technology that will amount to more than a headline grabber that’s forgotten the next day.
A very well written article.
But it doesn’t always need to be about huge sums of money to gain the attention for those of us that work away in sheds.
I have had huge amounts of attention for the Fastest Shed, please look it up on the internet or my social media.
My journey has been truly amazing so far, yet what I built was from a car that I was going to scrap, I have pushed the boundaries, with no financial help at all.
I have however had support from a few race organisers, which I am forever grateful to.
What I have achieved so far is through determination, sacrifice, hard work and belief, I believe that one day it will actually get me somewhere.
However, if it doesn’t then at least I have had an amazing journey in life.
What I do try and demonstrate to others is that anything is possible, the only person actually stopping you is yourself.
I have met so many truly amazing people too, with so much expertise, who have built so many amazing vehicles, many of whom hold speed records for the machines that they have created, but these people do it because they can.
One day, I may secure some investment, but until that day I will carry on doing my own thing and hopefully showing the world what is easily attainable.
Just never give up
Sadly an indictment of today’s financiers’ attitudes to engineering research and development. When once we ruled the world in the 50s particularly in the aerospace sphere what have we now? All for relatively a few pennies. And what happens to those individuals and small businesses who have put some money into keeping it going. What a waste of effort. Yes pursuing a speed record can be considered a glamour project and if that was all it was about I can see the point in good project management terms of cancelling it but the spinoffs are immense and generates potential and interest for the future. Sadly this is unquantifiable and as usual the bean counters cannot see further than the numbers their spreadsheet churns out.
Yes a very sad day! For who? Every British person “alive”. Alive to the fact that all the rest of the World [use to.] looked to us not only for “inspiration” but new inventions. Alive to new thoughts. Unfortunately the “glamour” [public interest/TV/Papers/social media.] has been lost long ago. People nowadays cannot differentiate from “fiction” and actual human endevours. Breaking “records” is what we do?? So what actual “publicity” (forget money!!) would Andy Green get/see when he exceeded 1000mph on land.?? A “Francis Chichester ” Welcome?? What about Segrave/Cobb/Campbell (2)/Edmund Hilary. OK “age related” for me!. But we need modern day heroes.
Surely, for this project the time had come to make it a driverless vehicle? (obviously with suitable remote safety controls). Why needlessly risk a human’s life?
Sincerely, in memory of Sir Malcolm Campbell,
Anthony Smith
Sir Malcolm died of natural causes. Did you mean to refer to Donald?
Although sad for those directly involved, there are two things I take from this that, I believe, may be linked and ultimately contributed to the eventual failure of the project:
1) Bad management which continues to plague Engineering projects in the UK.
2) Not everyone, irrespective of age and sex, in Engineering in the UK is a petrol head who is
‘turned on’ by fast, polluting, energy inefficient vehicles.
Let’s find a worthwhile project that appeals to everyone/most and that is costed and funded for the entire project lifecycle – success motivates, and a fully worked out financial plan will stand a better chance of obtaining sponsorship.
A disgrace that after all the hard work and endeavour our design teams, engineers and scientists have brought to the Bloodhound Project, in order to inspire our youth, the “brilliant minds” in government , the financial sector, and the entrepeneurs cannot show the same motivation and diligence to produce a plan to provide the finance required. What an absolute letdown to the country. Fulfilling the aim of the project is now a priority.
Further illustrates the incompetence of our government / establishment. Quite happy to bail out the banks when they were on the verge of bankruptcy because of their own greed, yet failed to help get this project over the finish line. As a country we have lead the way, but in order to continue, we need to back projects like this to inspire the next generation.
Not a blog I’ve noticed before, not being an engineer, but the UK-wide interest that the Bloodhound project inspired is precisely why I was attracted to the article. I did attempt to send a modest individual donation as soon as the desperate straights of the concern came to light ‘out of the blue’ for the general public, but had the donation returned since the opportunity to help had already closed. My immediate thoughts on the demise were the significant DEmotivating example that it potentially sent to all the boys and girls in schools who may have been contemplating an engineering career.
So so sad. Brilliant words from ‘Secret Engineer’. Nearly saw a Space Shuttle launch but it was delayed by poor weather. Did see 002 first flight from next to Brabazon Hangar at Filton & did see Alpha Foxtrot last ever Concorde Flight into Filton from Car Park in front of Brabazon Hangar.
Also saw Bloodhound SSC run at Newquay last year, from next to Runway. The interest from World wide Media was massive as was the excitement & enthusiasm from the assembled multitude. So so sad.
As a rocket scientists there is no give up. Do or do not
Thrust or bust
As my boss said in thrust we trust. James Gilmour
Don’t blame the government or other people who have not stepped in. The simple fact is this project was a private venture. It did not start as an education project. The education was added to get money and open doors. The big issue is poor management, lack of vision and an awful media team. You only need to go to companies house and it will show you how the much the management team were getting. Then check out the accounts for the education team and you will see money is also coming from Aramco = Saudi Aramco = Saudi Government.
Having worked on the Bloodhound project for over 9 years I can only applaud the comments in the article. Everyone who worked on the project, including those who worked for sponsors, gave everything to make this happen. The inspiration that the project provided to the young of both this country and those abroad will have planted seeds that have and will bear fruit. It would have been fantastic to see it break the record. But with over 1,000,000 school children having been involved with Bloodhound in some form or another, it achieved great things. It was not about just breaking a record it was about a legacy that we could all be proud of.
Although it now looks like Bloodhound may be rescued; below is the link to an e-petition asking the UK Government to support Bloodhound. Could prove useful as the project could fall on hard times again. Please add your name if you’re inclined.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/234706
Although there was a barrage of publicity when Bloodhound SSC’s finances failed and the news of the rescue was very welcome indeed, interest seems to have fallen off a cliff again and I haven’t been able to find any articles published, or even very much comment, since that news was first published.
It would be fantastic if all of those who wrote to bemoan the failure of the project could now be writing and publishing something about the renewed future of it, or perhaps we’re all as guilty of the shortfallls in driving groundbreaking projects forward that we are quick to criticise others of?
Just a thought…
Be assured that engineers and financiers are working on rescuing the Bloodhound SSC. Watch this space and believe that this island still possesses fellow countrymen with enough guts and tenacity to see this across the finishing line!
It looks like Bloodhound may yet be saved much to everyone’s relief.
While unquestionably its potential demise would be a sad day I am at least hopeful it is not indicative of the wider engineering world. The reasons behind bloodhounds struggles are numerous, from the decreased reliance of companies on projects like this for advertising, a news cycle operating far faster than testing timelines & (if rumor is to be believed) a tendency to pay well over market rate for managers & engineers. Yet the foundation, the desire of the public to be amazed by great endeavours, is in my opinion solid.