Imagine LSRV
Imagine LSRV is a rocket powered car currently being built that will go after the land speed record. The car is being designed by Waldo Stakes of Land Speed Research Vehicles LLC in southern California. The Imagine LSRV designers believe the car has the potential to be the most powerful, aerodynamically efficient, and fastest vehicle on earth. The name “Imagine” was given to the car as a challenge to those interested in land speed to excel and achieve great things as in the phrase “Imagine the Possibilities”.
The Design
Imagine LSRV is a straight line design with a Zen like design philosophy. The design of the car is to use all of the substantial forces it encounters during its run to create a positive effect on the car.
The Propulsion System
Imagine LSRV will be powered by an MR-40K rocket engine. This engine is essentially a highly modified Rocketdyne LR-105 engine, originally used in the Atlas ICBM. The engine has been used to produce over a million horsepower as it pushed NASA Mercury capsule and astronaut John Glenn to orbit at an altitude in excess of 100 miles. With the use of a highly efficient aerodynamic shape and design as well as the power of this rocket, Imagine LSRV has the potential to push the land speed record over 1000 M.P.H.
Projections
The current Imagine LSRV design has projected speeds in excess of Mach 2 or 1,400 mph on the ground. This is faster than any air-breathing engine (cf. turbine, Otto-cycle) at low altitude. Once the vehicle has been figured out completely, the team at Land Speed Research Vehicles LLC has the ability and equipment to increase the potential speed to Mach 3 or 2,200 mph, the speed the SR-71 Blackbird is reported to achieve at high altitude. Classified details may differ, and it should be noted that the Blackbird and A-12 are still deeply classified.
See also
- Land speed record
- Thrust SSC Current record holder since 1997.
- North American Eagle Project aiming for .
- Rosco McGlashan and the Aussie Invader.
- Bloodhound SSC
- The Bullet Project