The success of the mission to break the 1,000 mph speed barrier lies on the Bloodhound, a supersonic car that took 10,000 man hours to manufacture.
Andy Green, 51 years old and a former Royal Air Force pilot, will be at the helm of the Bloodhound when he tries to become the first person in history to reach 1,000 mph on land in the £10 million car.
The cockpit for the Bloodhound was recently revealed, showcasing a carbon fiber body that is manufactured using five different carbon fiber weave types and two different resin types. Three kinds of aluminum honeycomb core with varying thicknesses are between the carbon fiber layers, providing additional durability. At the cockpit's thickest point, it has 13 layers. However, the total thickness of those layers measures only 24 millimeters.
The cockpit, which weights 441 lbs., will be placed into the chassis of the car, right in front of the Bloodhound's special jet and rocket engine.
The cockpit's strength is of great importance as it will be taking a beating once the car reaches 1,000 mph. The pressure of aerodynamic forces will go up as high as three tonnes per square meter, which will be made worse by the strain that such a high speed will be putting on the car's suspension and wheels.
"Carbon fiber is an extraordinary material," Green said. "It is the same high-tech material from which we make jet fighters, F1 cars and in this particular case, the strongest safety cell in the history of motorsport."
"It is a fantastic piece of technology and it needs to be phenomenally strong to take the load and thrust from 210 kilonewtons and 130,000 horsepower of engine thrust from the back of the car and to take the aerodynamic load of up to 12 tonnes per meter," Green added.
Other features of the cockpit include ballistic armor, to protect Green from any debris and rocks that the Bloodhound's wheels may throw up, and the feature of the roof to create shockwaves that will drive air into the Bloodhound's engine.
The total dimensions of the completed car is 12 feet in length, 18 inches in diameter, and 992 lbs. in weight. Once ready to go, the Bloodhound will generate as much power as the combined total of 95 Formula One cars.
The Bristol-based team of the Bloodhound will do the car's first test runs in Newquay in August 2015, up to speeds of 200 mph. After that, the team will travel to South Africa, where testing will go up to speeds of 800 mph later that year. The team will then return to South Africa in the summer of 2016 to try to reach the 1,000 mph speed.
