BLOODHOUND SSC

October 16 2017

BLOODHOUND SSC is a supersonic car that is designed not only to go faster than the speed of sound (supersonic) but to over 1,000mph (1,600km/h). It will cover a mile in just 3.6 seconds.

BLOODHOUND SSC is approximately 13.4m long and weighs 7.5 tons. The design is a mix of car and aircraft technology, with the front section being a carbon fiber monocoque (similar in concept to a Formula 1 tub) and the back portion being a metallic framework and panels (like an aircraft). The Car will be powered by both a jet engine and a rocket. The monocoque is made from five different types of carbon fiber weave and two different resins. Sandwiched between the layers of carbon fiber are three different thicknesses of aluminum honeycomb core (8, 12 and 20mm), which provide additional strength.

Engineers of the car have found that composites, combined with a unique coating system, are a better solution for the car. In order to protect the composite structure from high temperatures, Bloodhound’s engineers used a Formula-1 derived, zirconia-based coating called ThermoHold for Composites. The coating, created by thermal barrier specialist Zircotec, can be applied at temperatures exceeding 10,000°C without affecting the composite substrate. The team plans to do initial speed tests on the main runway at Newquay Airport in Cornwall, the UK on October 26.

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