In a few months' time the supersonic Bloodhound will land in South Africa in preparation for an attempt on the world land speed record. But from today a replica of the jet-powered car, designed to reach 1610km/h, goes on display for a month at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.The Bloodhound SSC, which is being built in Bristol, England, is just about finished and will soon undergo low-speed testing.It will be flown to Upington, Northern Cape, from the UK in October and travel a further 260km to Hakskeen Pan, where the attempt will be made.The Bloodhound is powered by three engines - a jet engine, an auxiliary power unit and a rocket - and produces more than 135000BHP.The combined thrust of the Nammo hybrid rocket and the EJ200 jet engines will generate about 212kN in thrust.The vehicle is expected to break driver Andy Green's current record of 1227.99km/h, which was set in the Thrust SSC nearly 20 years ago.School pupils and the public will get a chance to experience what Green will go through in the Bloodhound Driving Experience simulator at the centre.Although the apparatus is not a simulator as such, it requires the virtual driver to control the jet and rocket power by accelerating each one at the right rate and time.Dr Frank Kienhöfer from the Wits Aero Society said the project was a unique initiative from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and hoped aspiring engineers would find it interesting."It is super exciting. The Bloodhound's dynamics must consider shock waves from the supersonic speed plus the effect of the dust on the aerodynamics," Kienhöfer said...