Brian Lecomber was a professional aerobatic display pilot for 25 years. He has been British Freestyle Aerobatic Champion, a best-selling author, and was voted Aviation Journalist of the Year.
Brian watched the Bloodhound project from inception for several years and published his articles here "from outside the box". They are all below as part of the project's history.
Brian passed away in 2015 after a short illness, and his insights to the project are missed by us all.
You’re a law-abiding citizen and you’re going to drive a car at 70 mph.
Okay, so what back-up do you need?
Well, you’ll say, nothing. You turn the key, proceed on your journey, and hit 70 in the appropriate places en route as you go. No, you don’t need back-up…
We British have traditionally tried to regard stress as a slightly dirty bodily function rather beneath our dignity. Upper lip stiff enough to support a Lee Enfield rifle and all that, eh what? We Brits don’t actually DO stress…
I am standing here, in Coventry Motor Museum, watching a bunch of kids pushing plastic rods and wheels and clips together to make little cars. A sort of 21st century update of the Meccano I used to so love bending and abusing. Only now they have no nuts and bolts.
The inside of any team of persons is an always-interesting and occasionally brutish place to be. I have all the psychological qualifications of a retarded gerbil – but the University of Life long ago taught me there are two main kinds of team: Aggressive and Competitive.
Or so I thought.
Let me paint a scenario. You are part of the design team of a major aircraft manufacturer. You are attending a design symposium devoted to the latest mega-monster airliner. These meetings happen fairly regularly so that all the various disciplines can have a beer or six…..
It is most difficult to dislike Conor La Grue. I am working at it, but have to confess I am losing heart.
Thursday, 2nd July 2009
Listen up, because you read it here first. Today I sat in BLOODHOUND before Andy Green had even seen in. And I did it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Annie Berrisford is every gentleman’s idea of an English rose.
February 2009
Nobody ever said that persuading a car up to a speed of Mach 1.4 is going to be easy.
Rocket propulsion was invented by the Chinese 800 years ago as a firework. And promptly proved that if you show a military mind a toy which shrieks and shoots up into the sky – why, the next thing you know you have a weapon research programme going.
