Ernest Eldridge: fearless thrill-seeker from land speed record's golden age
The irrepressible Ernest Eldridge was an unstoppable force in matters of velocity, becoming the last man to set a land speed record on an open road in 1924
“We deployed the parachute at 600mph and immediately you had 6g deceleration,” Thrust2 driver Richard Noble tells us.
“The weird thing about this extreme deceleration is that it upsets your inner ears, which give you your balance. You are absolutely convinced that you are driving vertically downwards into the centre of the earth. It’s an extraordinary experience, but soon the g comes off and you’re down to 400mph. By then it’s a bit boring really.” This was 30 years ago, but Noble is once again in the middle of another World Land Speed Record attempt with the BloodhoundSSC.
LSRs are a world apart from any other motor sport project. However, whether you’re a fan or not, you don’t want to miss this podcast we did with BloodhoundSSC’s project director. The numbers are baffling, the 1000mph target almost unbelievable.
We could only scratch the surface in an hour, but if you want to find out more visit www.bloodhoundssc.com.
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The irrepressible Ernest Eldridge was an unstoppable force in matters of velocity, becoming the last man to set a land speed record on an open road in 1924
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