Pretoria - While ordinary motorists are capped at driving at 120km/h on South African highways, the Bloodhound will attempt to set a new world land speed record at a “perfect landscape” in this country.
The project is sponsored by Britain, while South Africa will provide the perfect environment to break the record - the flat surface of Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape - where the Bloodhound will try to reach 1610km/h in 55 seconds.
Apart from setting a world land speed record, the car aims to inspire future generations to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics by showcasing these disciplines in an exciting way.
The supersonic car is fitted with three engines, including a Rolls-Royce jet turbine and hybrid rockets, enabling it to produce more than six times the total power of all the Formula One cars put together on a starting grid.
British high commissioner to South Africa Judith MacGregor said Britain welcomed the opportunity to present the mock-up model of the Bloodhound project in anticipation of the arrival of the actual car early in 2016.
MAKING TECHNOLOGY SEXY
“It’s a truly rich vein of scientific collaboration we are taking forward together, inspiring in that the work conducted and researched during the project is already being instantly relayed worldwide,” she said.
“One thousand schools around South Africa will be linked into the project with teachers who are taking the information as it comes and using it to inspire and drive more students to take up engineering and science at an early stage,” she said.
MacGregor added that the project would have implications in the engineering sector for cars and aerodynamics, and across the board would have a major impact on education, skills, professionalism and pushing technological boundaries.
Minister of tourism Derek Hanekom said producing technology of excellence would lead to advancements that were unimaginable. He said nothing would be better to excite young people in the country than projects like this, as it was difficult to draw them in by simply telling them that there was a need in the various sectors.
“We have many educational challenges in South Africa, but the first step in covering shortages in the various sectors is to actually have the youth eager and wanting to create similar and bigger projects as they see here,” he said.
Pretoria News