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Will Roegge is the best of the best when it comes to documenting the automotive world on video, so it should come as no surprise that his latest work, called Climb Attack, which documents Rhys Millen’s record setting run up the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, is nothing short of spectacular:
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The following is a sponsored (though unbiased) post: Cryo Performance Computing makes custom gaming PC’s and high performance desktop computers for a number of different users, including gamers, professionals, audio, video & multimedia creators, and home theater buffs.
Each computer that Cryo makes is specially designed to perform at the peak of its potential, and they utilize a number of different tools and techniques to reach that potential, including a process called blueprinting and “Cryo Boost”.
Blueprinting is when they design a system by looking at each of the components to make sure there is no ‘least common denominator’ holding everything else back. For instance, if you buy the top of the line video card, but your processor can’t handle it, then you’re not getting the full capability out of your video card. To prevent that from happening, Cryo “carefully selects individual components that [they] know will all compliment each other and work well together”.
Cryo Boost is a process that Cryo uses to go beyond just overclocking and performance tuning into a whole new and revolutionary way of designing, building and testing a PC. This “end-to-end lifecycle of innovative idea to end product” includes:
Which results in:
One thing to note is that Cryo is based in the UK, so you’ll need to take things like warranty and shipping into consideration before making your purchase (for instance, they do their pricing in Pounds) but considering the fact that they’ve been “architecting, designing and building PC technology hardware and software for over 20 years”, I don’t think you should have any problems with their products.
Plus, if you need even more convincing that they know their stuff, just check out their ‘Free Stuff’ area, where they’ve posted a number of technical articles, useful tools and useful links, as well as their ‘Cryo Benchmarks’, where they show off various performance reports that have been done on their system, including the Custom PC Benchmark record that they set with the Velox in December of 2008.
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Remember last year when Rhys Millen managed to miss the landing pit during his truck backflip practice and break three vertebrae in his neck and compress and break two vertebrae in his back?
Well apparently his doctors have given him the go and he’s going to give it another try this New Year’s Eve during the second annual Red Bull New Year No Limits event, and he’s even posted a video of the crash to wet everyone’s appetite:
According to Rhys:
Last year we attempted what was before then thought impossible. Laws of physics and vehicle dynamics were pushed to the limits with success, but failure came in one small mis-calculation. My body can be broken but my mind cannot. This year, people will witness the first ramp to ramp back flip in an off-road truck – ever.
In addition to Rhys’ record setting attempt, Robbie Maddison will also be breaking a record during the event as he attempts to jump over 100 feet into the air and land atop the replical Arc de Triomphe in front of Paris Las Vegas. He’ll then drop off the Arc and freefall for more than 50 feet to land on a massive landing ramp below.
I know I’ll be tuning in; will you?
[Red Bull - New Year No Limits]
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The Bloodhound SSC is more rocket than car, and aims to shatter the current world land speed record with a goal of 1,000 mph, or 31% faster than any four-wheeled vehicle has gone before.
Powering the Bloodhound SSC is a jet/hybrid rocket mix that uses a rocket for its raw power and a lack of draggy air intake, and a Eurojet EJ-200 jet engine for controlled output that allows the Bloodhound SSC team to increase Mach numbers in small, careful steps.
In addition to power, the Bloodhound SSC needs to be controllable, so little winglets above each wheel act as fully dynamic trimmers that make small adjustments in microsconds to maintain constant wheel load up to Mach 1.4.
In the middle of the Bloodhound SSC sits a MCT V12 race engine that makes over 800 horsepower. This might sound like an impressive figure, but when you’re goal is 1,000 mph, it’s not even close to what you need, so the V12 is just there for hydraulic power, starting the EJ-200, and pumping more than a ton of High Test Peroxide through the Falcon rocket in just 22 seconds at 1200 psi.
Another important element of a car like this that few people think about is the airflow. The fin needs to be a balance of high speed stability and low speed wind resistance, and even the rear wheel covers have been designed to minimize drag caused by the airflow around the wheel, since an unprotected wheel would see oncoming airflow at the top reach speeds of Mach 2.8 if left unprotected.
So what does a run to 1,000 mph look like?
Bloodhound SSC will accelerate from rest using an EJ-200 jet engine, taking it up to 300mph.
At that point (a) the rocket will be ignited, so that it and the jet are operating simultaneously, thereby increasing the acceleration to well over 2g.Having reached maximum speed (1,050mph), the rocket thrust will be stopped (point b), but the jet engine will continue burning for a few seconds.
During this brief period, the car will decelerate at about 1.5g. When the jet engine also stops (point c), the deceleration will peak at nearly 3g.
When the vehicle slows to subsonic speeds the aerodynamic drag will reduce dramatically, slowing the deceleration of the vehicle. Two additional deceleration peaks are shown on the curves (points d and e), indicating the release of two parachutes. At low speeds, below 200mph, hydraulically operated disc brakes can be used.
The land speed record is calculated from the average times of the car over two runs (to eliminate the effect of wind and other variables) so the car must then stop, refuel, turn around, and do the run all over again within an hour to claim the title.
Can they do it?
We’ll just have to wait to find out, but it sure looks like they’re taking steps in the right direction!
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