Ambassador Nick Naylor has been to Copley Junior School in Doncaster and has received this report back from Rob White. Pictures reproduced with permission from the Headteacher.
THE LAND SPEED record could be under threat in 2013 with a new car looking to break the 1000 miles an hour barrier, students learned today.
Pupils at Copley Junior School in Sprotbrough were treated to an interactive presentation from the Bloodhound Project detailing their new supersonic car’s impressive statistics.
Bloodhound cost £12m to build and the 13.4 metre structure uses three different engines to get to the 1000 mph mark. It can travel four football pitches in just a single second.
The Government part-funds the initiative provided it contains an educational element and Ambassadors like volunteer Nick Naylor are bringing the story to 4,500 schools, colleges and universities up and down the country.
Nick said “They have learned about Newton’s third law of physics and aerodynamics without even knowing.
“We do it to encourage learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“I love the local schools most with the reactions we have seen today.”
Copley already has an engineering pedigree, having won this year’s Yorkshire Primary Engineer trophy.
Headteacher Alan White said: “The project is there to inspire them. It puts the curriculum into real life context. They can look at a car and think, ‘I can do that’.
“Our kids know that the jobs they are going to do as adults have not been invented yet. The world changes so much.”
The pupils were certainly impressed by what they saw and were amazed at the prospect of travelling at 1000 miles per hour.
James, 10, said: “It would be like going on a rollercoaster. I would be very nervous.”
Josh, 11, said: “Your face would fall off! I would probably crash it.”
Pupils also got the chance to build their own cardboard Bloodhound, complete with ‘jet propulsion’ from a balloon, to be raced in a series of heats, before a final showdown.
Mr White faced off against Nick in the Main Event, but lost about by 20 lengths.
He quipped: “I don’t mind losing to an expert, but to be honest he was full of hot air.”
