WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD

Progress Report No32
Roy S. Peters
-Page updated 11 March 2005-


FASTEST MAN ON TWO WHEELS!!



Rocket Bike (Earlier) Update - 21 October 1998

Over the last few weeks, Richard "Rocketman" Brown, has started his attempt to become the fastest person in the world on two wheels. Well, as you may have seen on the news, on Thursday 15th November, Richard blasted into the record books and realised his first goal - a new British motorcycle record of 216mph.

For three days running last week, the team had been getting to Elvington Airfield before dawn, hoping for a window of calm weather that would allow Richard to attempt the record. Richard was prepared... the bike was prepared. The only variable was the weather.

On Tuesday, all the team could do was wait and hope. Torrential rain was followed by strong winds. Things looked up in the afternoon, and the team started to fuel up for an attempt. But no sooner had they galvanised into action than the weather broke again. With the light starting to fade, further attempts were out of the question that day.

On the Wednesday, things started to look up. As the darkness lifted, the day looked dry and calm. After a couple of practice tows, Richard fired his rockets for a practice powered run. With a 190mph target programmed into the rocket control computer, the on board telemetry showed he achieved 189mph. But a problem with the time keeper's equipment meant that the speed was not recorded officially. What followed was anything but expected. Cows, deer and dogs were spotted on the airfield. For safety, runs were suspended until the animals were under control. But by that stage the weather had taken a turn for the worse.

Thursday was another day - and first thing in the morning, things looked good. While it was still very windy, the direction was straight down the course - manageable conditions for Richard to run the bike. After an unpowered tow, and a powered run, Richard was ready to attempt the record. The rules state that a record will be recorded as the average of two runs over quarter of a mile, recorded within an hour of one another.

The first run was successful... three quarters of an hour later and the second looked good until disaster - the tow line on the bike broke, and the attempt was aborted. While the cable could be fixed, the delay would mean the second run was outside the hour.

Once again Richard prepared for an attempt... a successful tow, the rockets fired, and the Richard achieves an average of 241mph through the timing gates - although the telemetry showed an even greater peak speed. As the bike slid to a halt, the team raced to turn it round within an hour.

During the tow for the second run, the wind started to gust and push the bike off course. In Richard's mind it was now or never. As he fired the rocket, a gust caught the bike. "I found myself pointing straight at the timekeepers' caravan. I had to back off on the rocket. I steered round hard and think I must have been seeing things with a 30 degree tilt", he said. He fired the rocket again and let off in time for another gust. "I was inside, but I missed the timing gate by about 6 inches." The speed? 191mph - making an average of 216mph and a new British Record. "I was very emotional," Richard told us "but it felt good. Boy does it go!"

Richard says the bike performed perfectly. Over the winter he plans to make a few changes to the parachute deployment system, but everything else looks good. All being well, Richard and the bike will be off to America next year for an attempt on the world record. Watch out for Richard!!

1999 UPDATE:

I had been wondering about Richard's lack of news since the clip I put on my web-site last year. Search how I may, I hadn't found anything until the other evening!!

What I have found under

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/EE/CSER/UOSAT/conf/rbrown.htm

is a joint paper he presented at the University of Surrey (UK) - on 29-31 July 1998. It gives the details, text, thinking, objectives etc behind their projects. A full-scale technical paper, no less.

BROWN, Richard of Project Machinery, UK

was one of 3 co-authors. I'm sure that this can give you an insight into the bike - but failing that, maybe contacting the University can get you an actual address.

POSITIVE NEWS OF RICHARD BROWN'S ROCKET-BIKE

On the evening of 22 May 2000, on BBC1 TV, in the UK, there was a programme in the 'Mission' series about Richard's Project.


[Sorry about my aerial's poor reception during that video recording!! I shall have to wait for a possible repeat - or get copies some other way!!! Hang on. Here's one taken during testing!]

It was a great piece of work and showed the successes, problems, frustrations, changes etc to the bike, weather, parachute etc in trying to get this 26foot long bike to perform on Bonneville Salt-Flats in September of 1999.

Problems prevented him doing a 'double-run' for the record, but he exceeded the 'ratings' for the rubber tyres several times (he had got solid aluminium wheels as well, but they presented steering difficulties on the Salt Flats) - and in working-up to the record, which stands at 322.15mph (set 10years earlier), Richard recorded runs of 301mph, 337 mph (unofficial - but peaked at 340mph) and, on 15 Sept 1999 at 9.13am, an OFFICIAL ONE-WAY FASTEST (Kilometre) at 332.877mph.


He'll be back!!!

Richard was on the Salt Flats during the time when the ex-record-holder (1970) was there trying to regain his old record. He was Dennis Manning -21yrs old when got the record - but in his 50's now - a firm believer in conventional engines! Unfortunately, his latest creation (the ultimate conventional machine - 10 years for building- "TENACIOUS2") had insufficient acceleration for a quick run-up to avoid the very damp patches at either end of the 'flats'. He was HIGHLY impressed with Richard's rocket-bike; - its mind-boggling acceleration causing him to exclaim "Holy Shit!!!" as the Mach3 Challenger shot off into the distance. Disillusioned, Dennis, unable to compete with the 'shape of the future' , left for home earlier than anticipated! [Five of the eight fastest conventional machines were built by him!- Some lad!]


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