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The Bloodhound Project Runway Wheels

Runway Wheels

Before BLOODHOUND SSC goes to South Africa, it will be tested at much lower speeds in the UK at Newquay. There’s no need for steel wheels there, so we have two separate sets of more traditional wheels with rubber tyres that will be used instead.

The runway tyres are, amazingly, the same tyres that were used on Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC.
Originally manufactured by Dunlop for the English Electric Lightning jet fighter, the Thrust team persuaded the manufacturer to make another batch for the car in 1979. These were later sold to a firm in South Africa which offered high speed flights to paying passengers, and then bought back by the BLOODHOUND Project.

Having got Dunlop to check they were still OK, it’s the spare tyres from this batch that will be used by BLOODHOUND. After all these years they are still ideal for high speed car runs as their profile is very tall and very skinny, and they have a very high load rating. As a consequence, the runway wheels were made to fit the tyres, rather than the other way around.

 

LatestRelated Photos

  • Runway wheels by Castle Precision Engineering
  • Runway wheels by Castle Precision Engineering
  • Runway wheels by Castle Precision Engineering
  • Runway wheels by Castle Precision Engineering

Engineering News

Castle Precision Engineering to make Bloodhound's wheels

Wednesday, 9 May, 2012

News

On the 30th April, we announced our wheel manufacturer, Castle Precision Engineering, who will take on the manufacture of both the UK runway and desert wheels.

Engineering News

1,000 mph Car To Run On Scottish Wheels

Thursday, 3 May, 2012

News

Today, at Holyrood, BLOODHOUND SSC’s driver Andy Green and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers announced that Glasgow firm Castle Precision Engineering Ltd is

Press Release

Timken to provide wheel bearing solution for 1,000 mph car

Wednesday, 2 September, 2009

Press Release

The BLOODHOUND Project, Britain’s 1,000mph land speed record attempt, announced today that wheel bearing manufacturer Timken will be sponsoring the wheel bearing solution for the BLOODHOUND SSC (Super Sonic Car).