Jet bike
Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 10:39 pm
Pendine sands; We used to go there for summer holidays, just down the coast from where I grew up.A jet-powered bike will attempt to reach speeds of 400mph on a Carmarthenshire beach in a bid to break the British two-wheeled land speed record.
Jet Reaction is undergoing tests at Pendine Sands ahead of a world record attempt in America in September. The bike, which has a helicopter turbine engine, was built by Oxford engineer Richard Brown. He hopes to beat US rider Rocky Robinson's 2010 world record of 376mph. The test on Pendine Sands on Saturday are in preparation for Jet Reaction's world land speed record attempt at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA in the autumn.
The bike, which cost £100,000 and took four years to build, could potentially challenge a number of British speed records during the test runs in Wales this weekend. If the bike hits 400mph (640 km/h) during the tests it will cover 586ft (178 metres) a second. Talking about his record bid, engineer Mr Brown said: "A land speed record is one of the finest opportunities any team can have to demonstrate engineering innovation.
"The challenge is to engineer a superior machine making it the best in the world. "It is also an opportunity to demonstrate how a small team of talented individuals without vast financial support can produce a world-class vehicle."
