First test of steam-powered land speed record car successful
Click above to watch a video of an early steam car run
Believe it or not, steam-powered cars were actually some of the fastest machines on four wheels in the early 1900s. To wit, a Stanley Steamer managed to hit a boiler-induced terminal velocity of 127.659 mph way back in 1906. The record still stands, but it seems likely to be surpassed in very short order by a team of madcap Brits who have just tested their steam-powered land-speed racer in preparation for an all-out assault on the record books next year.
The steam car certainly looks the part of a record-breaker, with its long, aerodynamic outer shell covering nearly two miles of plumbing and a 13,000 RPM two-stage turbine powering the rear wheels. A total of 12 burners run on LPG and heat 10.5 gallons of water per minute to temperatures as high as 750-degrees F.
Early testing has been promising but the car has yet to see the kinds of speeds and pressures that will be necessary to topple the longstanding record. If successful, the British Steam Car Challenge team surpass speeds of 170 miles per hour when official testing takes place at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. We wish them luck... one hundred years is too long for a record like this to stand.
[Source: Wired]
Video:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
moyoi 6:05PM (12/12/2008)
I saw these guys on a Discovery Sci show. Their engine bit the big one, right before they tested it. Ouch. Glad they got it fixed, good luck!
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Yar 6:14PM (12/12/2008)
I like how a tank is just sitting next to the road in the video. You know, because that's normal.
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gt5fx 8:29PM (12/12/2008)
@Yar
because "official testing takes place at the Edwards Air Force Base in California "
Mobius_1 6:41PM (12/12/2008)
How come there are so many British speed freaks despite the UK being over governed and all? Amazing.
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pmiddle5 7:11PM (12/12/2008)
You answered your own question in that sentence
Homeboy 7:17PM (12/12/2008)
But can it steam my potatoes and vegetables while driving at 150mph??
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crow 9:57PM (12/12/2008)
Land speed record?
That thing is slower than my 3-year old on a Big Wheel! What a pathetic vid.
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Dergutie 9:59PM (12/12/2008)
Boy, some folks just have too much time and $$$. Does the steam actually drive the wheels or is it just blowing out like a rocket?I suppose if you had the motivation and money you could build a speedster powered by rutabagas. Quite a bit of gas in those roots! In any event, best of luck to them. I hope it provides employment to those who will be otherwise unemployed owing to the dismal state of the auto industry.
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Liquidretro 12:20AM (12/13/2008)
HA look at the big green British tea kettle.
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Michael 12:35AM (12/13/2008)
Speed.
I like it.
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Tony 1:09AM (12/13/2008)
that is the fastest kettle I have ever seen.
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Viper007Bond 2:39AM (12/13/2008)
In other interesting steam news and trivia, Jay Leno holds the record for the oldest car pulled over for speeding in Cali according to him. 75MPH I believe in a 1906 steam car. LOL
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Jeff Theobald 3:48AM (12/13/2008)
Hi, For more information about this car and steam cars in general have a look at
http://www.steamcar.net
regards, Jeff.
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rygar 12:33PM (12/13/2008)
It looks like an SR-71 and an unlimited hydroplane speedboat got busy in a sauna!
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