Wheels of car aiming to break 1,000 mph record to be built in Glasgow

THE wheels of land speed record bid car BLOODHOUND SSC are to be made by Glasgow firm Castle Precision Engineering, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has announced.

The wheels on the jet and rocket-powered vehicle will spin at 177 times a second during the attempts to set a new 1,000mph record, on a South African desert racetrack in 2013 and 2014.

They have taken three years to design by BLOODHOUND engineers, Innoval Technology and aerospace firm Lockheed Martin UK.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Problems which had to be overcome included ensuring the wheels do not break up at such a high speed.

BLOODHOUND driver Andy Green, who set the current 763mph record 15 years ago, said: “People have been using wheels for 5,000 years and these are the ultimate,”

A fibreglass model of the car will be on display outside the Riverside Museum in Glasgow from Thursday to Saturday, 26-28 April.