HOW DO YOU BRAKE AT 1,000 MPH? JUST ASK PARKER!

Parker Hannifin Teams Up with BLOODHOUND SSC on Airbrake

How do you slow down a supersonic car that travels at over 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h)? Well first things first you consult Parker Hannifin, the world’s leading manufacturer of motion and control technologies. The team behind the BLOODHOUND Super Sonic Car (SSC) want to break the land speed record and send their vehicle over the 1,000 mph threshold, but traditional braking methods like parachutes won’t work at such speeds. Together with a team at Parker Hannifin they have come up with an airbrake system that will use two airbrake doors to slow the rocket-powered car before it runs out of road!

Parker’s UK team has previous experience working on world speed records, they worked on the Thrust SSC that set the current world record back in 1997. Parker, a team sponsor, is providing equipment to work BLOODHOUND’s airbrake doors. When the pilot Andy Greene presses a button on his steering wheel, twin Parker linear actuators (cylinders) will push the airbrake doors into the airflow (each door carries a load of five tonnes) which will increase the drag on the car, slowing it by the equivalent of 60 mph (100 km/h) per second. If you’re looking for a smooth ride this isn’t for you. According to Andy, “It will be uncomfortable… most people would call this a crash”.