Rubber bands took the place of rocket boosters on Monday 15 June when the Year 6 girls of Redland High Junior School attempted to build their own versions of the Bloodhound supersonic car and race them across the playground!

The Bloodhound SSC Project is a prestigious project to design a car that aims not just to break the current land speed record but to achieve an astounding speed of over 1,000mph.  Recent calculations suggest that the car, described as “a muscular streak of gunmetal and orange”, could even reach 1,050 mph – faster than a bullet from a Magnum revolver.  Building the car is being achieved through private sponsorship. 

Much of the experimental work on the Bloodhound car is being carried out in the Engineering Faculty at UWE and it is two senior members of the UWE team who brought it all to life for the Redland High girls.  First, senior design engineer Annie Berrisford introduced the exciting project to the girls, then Tony Parraman presented them with their very own engineering challenge: to design and build model supersonic cars, using card, paper clips and sellotape.  The cars were powered by rubber bands and balloons.

In an exciting climax, the cars were then raced around the playground.  Mr Parraman hoped that this busy and productive afternoon succeeded in teaching the girls some core engineering concepts: energy, friction and the strength of materials.

It certainly was a supersonic afternoon!  Mr Joe Eyles, Junior School Headteacher, said, “The girls thoroughly enjoyed the Bloodhound presentation and the chance to try to build a working model car.  Miss Berrisford was an inspiring role-model for them – how wonderful if some of our pupils go on to choose careers in engineering!”

For further information on Redland High School for Girls, please telephone Jane Butterworth on 07976 821812.  Photograph taken by Martin Chainey.