1,000 mph bloodhound SSC supersonic rocket car cockpit completed

bloodhound SSC supersonic rocket car cockpit completed
all images courtesy stefan marjoram

the cockpit of bloodhound SSC, the 135,000 horsepower supersonic land speed rocket car has been officially completed. the state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque has been tailored to driver andy green and will be the space used during record attempts in the south african desert in 2015 and 2016. hand crafted using five different types of carbon fiber weave and two different resins, the structural shell has taken more than 10,000 hours to design and manufacture. sandwiched between the layers of carbon fibre are three different thicknesses of aluminum honeycomb core, which provide additional strength.

the bloodhound has a highly specialized windscreen custom-made from acrylic. the plastic is heated, stretched and then two layers are bonded together to create a 25mm section, thicker than a fighter jet’s windscreen and sufficient to withstand an impact with a 1kg bird at 900mph (1,448km/h). due to the oblique angle the windscreen is set at, the driver will in fact be looking through 50mm of curved plastic.

video courtesy bloodhound SSC

the structure weighs 200kg and bolts directly to the metallic rear chassis carrying the jet, rocket and racing car engine. the carbon front section will have to endure peak aerodynamic loads of up to three tonnes per square meter at 1,000mph (1,609km/h) as well the considerable forces generated by the front wheels and suspension. it will also carry ballistic armor to protect the driver should a stone be thrown up by the front wheels at very high speeds. the roof of the cockpit has been designed to create a series of shock-waves that will channel the air into the rolls royce-based eurojet ej200 jet engine.