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Bonneville International Speedway
Bonneville Salt Flats, UT
October 13th, 2004
The Ohio State University Buckeye Bullet, a vehicle designed, built, and maintained by OSU students, set the new international land speed (LSR) record in the E-III category (the top class of electric vehicles) at 271.737 mph (427.225 km/hr) around 3:30pm MT.
The international LSR is set by running a set 1-km course in opposite directions within the span of sixty minutes. Run-up to the "flying kilometer" section consists of a three-mile stretch of the salt flats. After a forward run, the vehicle must complete the flying kilometer in the reverse direction within 60 minutes.
Today, the Bullet was the first vehicle to line up for the international record run - the first opportunity at the 2004 World Finals, around 2:30pm. With driver Roger Schroer of TRC, Inc. at the wheel, the forward run resulted in a speed of over 267 mph at the end of the measured km, and the return run was close to 276 mph. The average speed over the kilometer in both directions was timed at 271.737. These runs eclipse the 245 mph record previously held by White Lightning in 1999.
The Bullet also holds the U.S. LSR at around 257 mph, set last October 18th, 2003. The Bullet team will attempt to surpass its own U.S. record during remainder of the World Finals, which last through Saturday, October 16th. National record attempts are set according to a different set of rules, which include a 4-hour impound period between runs. The Bullet came close to re-setting its record last August during SpeedWeek with a forward run averaging 308 mph, but the return run was foiled by a driveline mechanical failure.
Update: 10/14/04, 6:49PM - Thursday was another spectacular day on the Salt.
Perfect temperature, in the 70s, and ideal salt conditions. The team had the car ready at the start line for a new U.S. Record attempt around 3pm. The run went flawlessly, and Roger Schroer set a new ceiling for electric racers with a third mile clocked at 316.658 mph. The Bullet was "out the back door" at almost 322 mph! See the attached "speeding ticket" for the details.
The Bullet has now qualified for a new U.S. Record and has a chance to back up the record early tomorrow morning, when the return runs are scheduled. Stay tuned!
Update: 10/15/04, 12:07PM - This morning at 9:40am mountain time the Buckeye Bullet, driven by Roger Schroer, set a new Land Speed Record for the E-III class at 314.958 mph. The vehicle duplicated the previous day's run with very similar timed miles and an exit speed of over 318 mph.
Following the run Roger Schroer was inducted into both the 200 mph and 300 mph clubs, and much celebrating commenced.
This has been a very proud day for all involved.
Update: 10/16/04, 10:08PM - How fast did the Bullet really go?
For those who like numerology, here are some numbers to ponder:
From the Ohio State University website - here is where the Bullet places relative to some other high-speed performances.
120 mph: Cedar Point Top Thrill Dragster, the world fastest rollercoaster
236 mph: fastest lap in an Indy 500 (Eddy Cheever, Jr. in 1996)
272 mph: Bullet new international speed record
275 mph: speed achieved by Shinkansen Bullet train
315 mph: Bullet new U.S. Record
567 mph: typical cruise speed of a Boeing 747 at 35,000 ft
761 mph: speed of sound at sea level
But, how fast is 315 mph???
Think of it this way, if it helps...
507 Km/h, or over half a Megameter per hour - that is around Mach 0.5!
462 ft/s
141 m/s
And now, for some creative units:
846,720 furlongs per fortnight (a Megafurlong per fortnight is equivalent to 372 mph!)
4.9 million yards per year
40 Million fathoms per week
Any way you look at it, that's really FAST.
At that speed, a mile goes by in less than 12 seconds, and if you could find the right freeway (not to mention the appropriate batteries), you would drive from Columbus to Detroit in about 35 minutes...
Not bad for a group of engineering undergraduates. What will they do when they grow up?
Meanwhile, we are just so proud of them!
Go Bucks, Go Fast!
_________________________________________________________
Giorgio Rizzoni
The Ford Motor Company Chair in Electromechanical Systems
Professor of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Director, Center for Automotive Research
The Ohio State University
930 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH 43212
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