Land speed record
ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the land speed record.
The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.[1] The land speed record (LSR) is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes").[2] Two runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and a new record mark must exceed the previous one by at least one percent to be validated.[3]
Contents
1 History
2 Women's land speed record
3 Records
3.1 1898–1965 (wheel-driven)
3.2 1963–present (jet and rocket propulsion)
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
History
The first regulators were the Automobile Club de France, who proclaimed themselves arbiters of the record in about 1902.[4]
Ralph DePalma in his Packard '905' Special at Daytona Beach in 1919
Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognize the same world records[5] until 1924, when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) introduced new regulations: two passes in opposite directions (to negate the effects of wind) averaged with a maximum of 30 minutes (later more) between runs, average gradient of the racing surface not more than 1 percent, timing gear accurate within 0.01sec, and cars must be wheel-driven.[6] National or regional auto clubs (such as AAA and SCTA) had to be AIACR members to ensure records would be recognized.[7] The AIACR became the FIA in 1947. Controversy arose in 1963: Spirit of America was not recognized due to its being a three-wheeler (leading the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to certify it as a three-wheel motorcycle record when the FIA refused) and not wheel-driven so the FIA introduced a special wheel-driven class.[8] No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven.
Women's land speed record
Dorothy Levitt, in a 26hp Napier, at Brooklands, England, in 1908
In 1906 Dorothy Levitt broke the women's world speed record for the flying kilometer, recording a speed of 91 mph (146.25 km/h) and receiving the sobriquet the "Fastest Girl on Earth". She drove a six-cylinder Napier motorcar, a 100 hp (74.6 kW) development of the K5, in a speed trial in Blackpool.[9][10][11]
A subsequent record was held by Lee Breedlove, the wife of Craig Breedlove, who piloted her husband's Spirit of America - Sonic 1 to a record 308.506 mph (496.492 km/h) in 1965, making her the fastest woman alive, as of 1974[update].[12] According to author Rachel Kushner, Craig Breedlove had talked Lee into taking the car out for a record attempt in order to monopolize the salt flats for the day and block one of his competitors from making a record attempt.[13]
The current women's absolute record was set by Kitty O'Neil, in the jet-powered SMI Motivator, set at the Alvord Desert in 1976.[14] Held back by her contract with a sponsor and using only 60 percent of her car's power, O'Neil reached 512.710 mph (825.127 km/h).[15][16]
Records
1898–1965 (wheel-driven)
| Date | Location | Driver | Vehicle | Power | Speed over 1 km | Speed over 1 mile | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | mph | km/h | ||||||
| December 18, 1898 |  Achères, France | Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat | Jeantaud Duc[17] | Electric | 39.24 | 63.15 | [18] | ||
| January 17, 1899 | Achères, France |  Camille Jenatzy[17] | GCA Dogcart | Electric | 41.42 | 66.66 | [18] | ||
| January 17, 1899 | Achères, France | Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat | Jeantaud Duc | Electric | 43.93 | 70.31 | [18] | ||
| January 27, 1899 | Achères, France | Camille Jenatzy | GCA Dogcart | Electric | 49.93 | 80.35 | [18] | ||
| March 4, 1899 | Achères, France | Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat | Jeantaud Duc Profilée | Electric | 57.65 | 92.78 | [18] | ||
| April 29, 1899 | Achères, France | Camille Jenatzy | CITA No 25 La Jamais Contente | Electric | 65.79 | 105.88 | First purpose designed land speed racer.[19] First record over 100 km/h (62 mph)[18] | ||
| April 13, 1902 | Nice, France | Léon Serpollet | Gardner-Serpollet Œuf de Pâques (Easter Egg) | Steam[4] | 75.06 | 120.80 | |||
| August 5, 1902 | Ablis, France |  William K. Vanderbilt | Mors Z Paris-Vienne | Internal combustion | 76.03 | 122.438 | First internal combustion powered record[4] | ||
| November 5, 1902 | Dourdan, France | Henri Fournier | Mors Z Paris-Vienne | Internal combustion 4-cylinder, 9.2 litre, 60 bhp | 76.59 | 123.25 | [20] | ||
| November 17, 1902 | Dourdan, France | Maurice Augières | Mors Z Paris-Vienne | Internal combustion | 77.13 | 124.13 | [18] | ||
| July 17, 1903 | Ostend, Belgium | Arthur Duray | Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | Internal combustion | 83.46 | 132.32 | [18] | ||
| Nov 5, 1903 | Dourdan, France | Arthur Duray | Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | Internal combustion | 84.73 | 136.35 | [20] | ||
| January 12, 1904 | New Baltimore, United States | Henry Ford | Ford 999 Racer | Internal combustion | 84.73 | 136.35 | 91.37 | 147.05 | [21] |
| March 31, 1904 | Nice, France | Louis Rigolly | Gobron-Brillié Paris-Madrid | Internal combustion | 94.78 | 152.53 | [18] | ||
| May 25, 1904 | Ostend, Belgium | Pierre de Caters | Mercedes Simplex 90 | Internal combustion | 97.25 | 156.50 | [18] | ||
| July 21, 1904[20] | Ostend, Belgium | Louis Rigolly | Gobron-Brillié Gordon Bennett | Internal combustion | 103.56 | 166.66 | First record over 100 mph (161 km/h)[18] | ||
| November 13, 1904 | Ostend, Belgium | Paul Baras | Darracq Gordon Bennett | Internal combustion | 104.53 | 168.22 | [18] | ||
| December 30, 1905 | Arles, France | Victor Hémery | Darracq Special | Internal combustion | 109.59 | 176.37 | [18] | ||
| January 26, 1906 | Daytona Beach, United States | Fred Marriott | Stanley Rocket[6] | Steam | 127.66 | 205.44 | First record over 200 km/h (124 mph). First speed greater than contemporary rail speed record. Held record for steam powered vehicles until 2009.[22] | ||
| November 6, 1909 |  Brooklands, United Kingdom | Victor Hémery | Benz No 1 200 hp (150 kW) | Internal combustion: 21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine | 125.94 | 202.68 | 115.93 | 186.57 | First run using electronic timing[6] |
| June 24, 1914 | Brooklands, United Kingdom | Lydston Hornsted | Benz No 3 200 hp (150 kW) | Internal combustion: 21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine | — | 124.09 | 199.70 | First 2-way record, set at Brooklands under new Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) 2-way rule[6] | |
| May 17, 1922 | Brooklands, United Kingdom | Kenelm Lee Guinness | Sunbeam 350 hp | V12, single o.h.c, 18.3 litre, 350 b.h.p. engine | 133.75 | 215.25 | The third and last time the record was set at Brooklands[20] | ||
| July 6, 1924 | Arpajon, France | René Thomas | Délage | Internal combustion, V12, ohv, 10.6 litre, 280 bhp engine | 143.31 | 230.634 | [20] | ||
| July 12, 1924 | Arpajon, France | Ernest Eldridge | FIAT Mephistopheles | Internal combustion: 21.7 L (1,320 cu in) inline-6 FIAT A.12 aero engine | — | 145.89 | 234.98 | Fastest land speed record ever on a public road[6] | |
| September 25, 1924 | Pendine, United Kingdom | Malcolm Campbell | Sunbeam 350HP | Internal combustion: 18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine | — | 146.16 | 235.22 | First land speed record by Malcolm Campbell[23] | |
| July 21, 1925 | Pendine, United Kingdom | Malcolm Campbell | Sunbeam 350HP | Internal combustion: 18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine | — | 150.87 | 242.8 | First person to travel over 150 mph (241 km/h)[23] | |
| April 28, 1926 | Pendine, United Kingdom | Parry Thomas | Babs | Internal combustion: 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engine | — | 170 | 273.6 | ||
| February 4, 1927 | Pendine, United Kingdom | Malcolm Campbell | Napier-Campbell Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 22.3 L (1,360 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine | — | 174.88 | 281.44 | [23] | |
| March 29, 1927 | Daytona Beach, United States | Henry Segrave | Mystery (aka "Sunbeam 1000 hp") | Internal combustion: 2 x 22.4 L (1,370 cu in) V12 Sunbeam Matabele aero engines | 203.79 | 327.97 | The first car to reach a speed over 200 mph (320 km/h)[24] | ||
| February 19, 1928 | Daytona Beach, United States | Malcolm Campbell | Napier-Campbell Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine | 206.956 | 333.048 | [7] | ||
| April 22, 1928 | Daytona Beach, United States | Ray Keech | Triplex Special | Internal combustion: 3 x 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engines | 207.552 | 334.007 | [25] | ||
| March 11, 1929 | Daytona Beach, United States | Henry Segrave | Golden Arrow | Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine | 231.446 | 372.459 | Segrave was knighted for this effort.[26] | ||
| February 5, 1931 | Daytona Beach, United States[20] | Malcolm Campbell | Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine | 246.09 | 396.025 | Campbell was knighted for this effort.[26] | ||
| February 24, 1932 | Daytona Beach, United States | Malcolm Campbell | Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine | 253.97 | 408.73 | First 250 mph (400 km/h) pass.[23] | ||
| February 22, 1933 | Daytona Beach, United States | Malcolm Campbell | Campbell-Railton Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine | 272.46 | 438.48 | [23] | ||
| March 7, 1935 | Daytona Beach, United States | Malcolm Campbell | Campbell-Railton Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine | 276.816 | 445.472 | [26] | ||
| September 3, 1935 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Malcolm Campbell | Campbell-Railton Blue Bird | Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine | 301.129 | 484.598 | First 300 mph (480 km/h) pass, first absolute record set at Bonneville[26] | ||
| November 19, 1937 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | George Eyston | Thunderbolt | Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines | 311.42 | 501.16 | [26] | ||
| August 27, 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | George Eyston | Thunderbolt | Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines | 345.49[26] | 556.012 | |||
| 15 September 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | John Cobb | Railton | Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines | 350.2 | 563.566 | [26] | ||
| September 16, 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | George Eyston | Thunderbolt | Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines | 357.5 | 575.314 | [26] | ||
| August 23, 1939 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | John Cobb | Railton Special | Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines | 369.74[26] | 595.04 | 367.91 | 592.091 | |
| September 16, 1947 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | John Cobb | Railton Mobil Special | Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines | 394.196[6] | 634.397 | 394.19 | 634.39 | |
| September 9, 1960 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Mickey Thompson | Challenger I | Internal combustion: 4 x 6-71-supercharged Pontiac V8 engines | 406.60 | 654.36 | |||
| November 12, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Bob Summers | Goldenrod | Internal combustion: 4 x fuel injected Chrysler hemi V8 engines | 409.277 | 658.526 | Piston-engined record with modified regular production automotive engines | ||
1963–present (jet and rocket propulsion)
Craig Breedlove's mark of 407.447 miles per hour (655.722 km/h),[8][27] set in Spirit of America in September 1963, was initially considered unofficial. The vehicle breached the FIA regulations on two grounds: it had only three wheels, and it was not wheel-driven, since its jet engine did not supply power to its axles. Some time later, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme created a non-wheel-driven category, and ratified Spirit of America's time for this mark.[8] On July 27, 1964, Donald Campbell's Bluebird CN7 posted a speed of 403.10 miles per hour (648.73 km/h) on Lake Eyre, Australia. This became the official FIA LSR, although Campbell was disappointed not to have beaten Breedlove's time.[28] In October, several four-wheel jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither FIA nor FIM ratification.[28] The confusion of having three different LSRs lasted until December 11, 1964, when the FIA and FIM met in Paris and agreed to recognize as an absolute LSR the higher speed recorded by either body, by any vehicles running on wheels, whether wheel-driven or not.[29] Thus, Art Arfons' Green Monster was belatedly recognized as the absolute LSR holder, Bluebird the holder of the wheel-driven land speed record, and Spirit of America the tricycle record holder. No wheel-driven car has since held the absolute record.
| Date | Location | Driver | Vehicle | Power | Speed over 1 km | Speed over 1 mile | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | mph | km/h | ||||||
| August 5, 1963 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Craig Breedlove | Spirit of America | Turbojet | 407.447 | 655.722 | [8][27] Initially considered unofficial since the machine had 3 wheels. Later ratified by FIM. | ||
| October 2, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Tom Green | Wingfoot Express | Turbojet | 413.2 | 665.0 | [8] | ||
| October 5, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Art Arfons | Green Monster | Turbojet | 434.03 | 698.50 | [8] | ||
| October 13, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Craig Breedlove | Spirit of America | Turbojet | 468.719 | 754.330 | [18] | ||
| October 15, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Craig Breedlove | Spirit of America | Turbojet | 526.277 | 846.961 | [18] | ||
| October 27, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Art Arfons | Green Monster | Turbojet | 536.710 | 863.751 | [18] | ||
| November 2, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Craig Breedlove | Spirit of America - Sonic 1 | Turbojet | 555.485 | 893.966 | 555.485 | 893.966 | [30] |
| November 7, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Art Arfons | Green Monster | Turbojet | 576.553 | 927.872 | 576.553 | 927.872 | [18] |
| November 15, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Craig Breedlove | Spirit of America - Sonic 1 | Turbojet | 594 | 955.950 | 600.601 | 966.574 | [31] |
| October 23, 1970 | Bonneville Salt Flats, United States | Gary Gabelich | Blue Flame | Rocket | 630.478 | 1014.656 | 622.407 | 1001.667 | [32] |
| October 4, 1983 | Black Rock Desert, United States | Richard Noble | Thrust2 | Turbojet: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon | 634.051 | 1020.406 | 633.47 | 1019.47 | [32] |
| September 25, 1997 | Black Rock Desert, United States | Andy Green | ThrustSSC | Turbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey | 713.990 | 1149.055 | 714.144 | 1149.303 | [32] |
| October 15, 1997 | Black Rock Desert, United States | Andy Green | ThrustSSC | Turbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey | 760.343 | 1223.657 | 763.035 | 1227.986[33] | First supersonic LSR |
See also
- List of vehicle speed records
- British land speed record
- Production car speed record
- Land speed record for rail vehicles
- Motorcycle land speed record
- Aero-engined car
Pioneer 2M – Soviet Union attempt at the land speed record in early 1960s
Budweiser Rocket – Claimed but not verified to have reached 739.666 miles per hour (1,190.377 km/h) and to have broken the sound barrier in 1979
North American Eagle Project – Aiming for 808 mph (1,300 km/h) to break current record.
Bloodhound SSC – Project aiming for 1,050 mph (1,690 km/h).
Rosco McGlashan – Australia's fastest man on the land. His Aussie Invader team is building a fully rocket-powered LSR car with an attempt at the record currently on hold pending funding.[34]
The Bullet Project – Australia's land speed record challenger
References
^ "FIA land speed records". FIA. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-10-16..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ Regulations for Record Attempts - CHAPTER 2 Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. - FIA
^ "§105. Conditions for the recognition of international or world records". Sporting Code: Chapter 7: Records. FIA. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
^ abc
Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Ian Ward. World of Automobiles. Vol. 10. London: Orbis. p. 1162.
^
Martin, James A.; Thomas F. Saal (2004). "Ch 17: Land Speed Record to 1939". American Auto Racing: The Milestones and Personalities of a Century of Speed. McFarland. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7864-1235-8.
^ abcdef Northey, p.1163.
^ ab Northey, p.1164.
^ abcdef Northey, p.1166.
^ Hull, Peter G. "Napier: The Stradivarius of the Road", in Northey, Tom, ed. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 13, p.1483.
^ G.N. Georgano Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886–1930. (London: Grange-Universal, 1985).
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^ Twite, Mike. (1974), "Breedlove: Towards the sound barrier", World of Automobiles, Orbis Publishing, 2: 231
^ "Knowingly Navigating the Unknown Archived October 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.", Maria Russo, The New York Times, May 7, 2013
^ Ellen Jares, Sue. "The Renaissance Woman of Danger—That's Tiny Kitty O'Neil". People. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ Phinizy, Coles. "A Rocket Ride To Glory And Gloom". SI Vault. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ "Deaf stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ ab Northey, p.1161.
^ abcdefghijklmnopq http://www.landspeedrecord.org/speed-records/
^ https://gizmodo.com/the-blazing-fast-evolution-of-land-speed-record-cars-1604716513
^ abcdef Posthumus, Cyril. Land Speed Record: A complete history of the record-breaking cars from 39 to 600+ mph (Osprey Publishing, Reading, 1971)
^ Cars Against the Clock, The World Land Speed Record, Robert B. Jackson (New York, Henry Z. Walck, Inc.), p.19,
ISBN 0-8098-2078-1
^ [1] - The British Steam Car Challenge
^ abcde Scott A. G. M. Crawford, "Campbell, Sir Malcolm (1885–1948)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011 accessed 20 April 2013
^ Holthusen, Peter J.R. (1986). The Land Speed Record
ISBN 0-85429-499-6
^ Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Tom Northey. World of Automobiles. Vol. 10 (London: Orbis), pp.1164-5.
^ abcdefghi Northey, p.1165.
^ ab Twite, Mike. "Craig Breedlove: Toward the Sound Barrier", in World of Automobiles (Volume 2, p.231).
^ ab http://www.bloodhound-risbridger.com/Land-Speed-Record-History/
^ "from our motoring correspondent" (December 12, 1964). "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times (Issue 56193). p. 7, col E.
^ Cars Against the Clock, The Fastest Men on Earth, Clifton, Paul, New York, The John Day Company, page 238, L.C. 66-15097
^ Spirit of America, Breedlove, Craig, Chicago, Illinois, Henry Regnery Company, pages 183-184, L.C. 71-143833
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^ "June 2016 Newsletter". Retrieved 4 July 2016.
External links
Autoracing Speed Records at Curlie
Aussie Invader official website - Australian challengers to the supersonic showdown
Speed Record Club - The Speed Record Club seeks to promote an informed and educated enthusiast identity, reporting accurately and impartially to the best of its ability on record-breaking engineering, events, attempts and history.- The Land Speed Record in the Sixties: an on-line collection
