British land speed record
Encyclopedia
The British land speed record is the fastest land speed
achieved by a vehicle in the United Kingdom
, as opposed to one on water or in the air. It is standardised as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions.
driving the 350 hp Sunbeam Blue Bird set records for the Flying Mile (146.16 m.p.h.) and Flying Kilometre (146.15 m.p.h.) at Pendine Sands
, in Wales.
On July 21, 1925 Malcolm Campbell, Sunbeam Blue Bird, at Pendine Sands, broke the records for the Flying Mile (150.76 m.p.h.) and Flying Kilometre (150.86 m.p.h.).
Henry Segrave
on March 16, 1926 set the land speed record in his 4 litre Sunbeam Tiger
'Ladybird' on the sands at Southport, England at 152.3 m.p.h. "The mean time for the flying kilometre was 14.6876 seconds equal to 245.11 kilometres per hour, or 152.308 miles per hour." The car suffered supercharger failure during the record run and did not break the mile record.
On 27 April 1926, at Pendine Sands J. G. Parry-Thomas in the Higham-Thomas Special Babs set the Flying Mile record at 168.07 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre at 169.29 m.p.h. The following day on April 28, 1926, Parry-Thomas raised the Flying Mile to 170.62 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre to 171.01 m.p.h.
On February 4, 1927 Malcolm Campbell set the World Land Speed Record
at Pendine Sands covering the Flying Kilometre in a mean average of 174.883 m.p.h. and the Flying Mile in 174.224 m.p.h. on the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird. These also established British records that were to last for many years. The achievement was overshadowed by the death of Parry-Thomas at Pendine Sands on March 3, 1927.
On October 3, 1970 Tony Densham, driving the Ford-powered "Commuter" dragster set a record at Elvington
, Yorkshire, averaging 207.6 m.p.h. over the Flying Kilometre course. This broke Campbell's record set 43 years previously.
Robert Horne set an Flying Mile record on April 27, 1977, at RAF Fairford
, Gloucestershire, in the ex-Scuderia Montjuich Ferrari 512
M, chassis number 1002, at a speed of 191.64 m.p.h.
driven by Richard Noble
broke the Flying Mile record at a speed of 248.87 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre at 251.190 m.p.h. at RAF Greenham Common
.
In the summer of 1998, Colin Fallows bettered Richard Noble's outright UK Record in his Vampire
jet dragster at an average speed of 269 m.p.h. at Elvington, Yorkshire. Mark Newby raised this to 272mph in Split Second in July 2000 but Colin Fallows raised the record again on the same day using Vampire to record an average speed of 300.3mph with a peak of 329mph.
On 7th July 2006 Colin Fallows raised this 300.3mph average speed again by 1mph with an each-way average of 301mph at RAF Fairford in Vampire. His peak speed was 331mph, considerably in excess of the 314mph peak achieved by Richard Hammond a few weeks afterwards just prior to crashing the car. At the same event at RAF Fairford on 7th July 2006, Mark Newby drove his jet car Split Second to an MSA/FIA accredited average speed of 338.74mph with a peak of 362mph, the fastest speed ever recorded in the UK. The car was unable to make a return run so the one-way record remains an unofficial one. (Sources: UK Speed Record Club, FAST Facts. RACMSA)
On September 20, 2006 Top Gear
presenter Richard Hammond
reached a peak speed of 314 mi/h whilst being taught to drive the Vampire jet car. It was not a record attempt, and no official MSA or FIA Accredited timekeeping was in place, the peak speed of 314mph being recorded by the BBC's own on-board data management equipment.
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
achieved by a vehicle in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as opposed to one on water or in the air. It is standardised as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions.
Historical records
On September 25, 1924 Malcolm CampbellMalcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
driving the 350 hp Sunbeam Blue Bird set records for the Flying Mile (146.16 m.p.h.) and Flying Kilometre (146.15 m.p.h.) at Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands is a length of beach on the shores of Carmarthen Bay on the south coast of Wales. It stretches from Gilman Point in the west to Laugharne Sands in the east. The village of Pendine is situated near the western end of Pendine Sands....
, in Wales.
On July 21, 1925 Malcolm Campbell, Sunbeam Blue Bird, at Pendine Sands, broke the records for the Flying Mile (150.76 m.p.h.) and Flying Kilometre (150.86 m.p.h.).
Henry Segrave
Henry Segrave
-External links:* * * * *...
on March 16, 1926 set the land speed record in his 4 litre Sunbeam Tiger
Sunbeam Tiger (1925)
The Sunbeam Tiger was a racing car of the 1920s, built by Sunbeam of Wolverhampton. It was the last car to be competitive both as a land speed record holder, and as a circuit-racing car.- Design and engine :...
'Ladybird' on the sands at Southport, England at 152.3 m.p.h. "The mean time for the flying kilometre was 14.6876 seconds equal to 245.11 kilometres per hour, or 152.308 miles per hour." The car suffered supercharger failure during the record run and did not break the mile record.
On 27 April 1926, at Pendine Sands J. G. Parry-Thomas in the Higham-Thomas Special Babs set the Flying Mile record at 168.07 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre at 169.29 m.p.h. The following day on April 28, 1926, Parry-Thomas raised the Flying Mile to 170.62 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre to 171.01 m.p.h.
On February 4, 1927 Malcolm Campbell set the World Land Speed Record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
at Pendine Sands covering the Flying Kilometre in a mean average of 174.883 m.p.h. and the Flying Mile in 174.224 m.p.h. on the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird. These also established British records that were to last for many years. The achievement was overshadowed by the death of Parry-Thomas at Pendine Sands on March 3, 1927.
On October 3, 1970 Tony Densham, driving the Ford-powered "Commuter" dragster set a record at Elvington
RAF Elvington
RAF Elvington, located at Elvington, south east of York in Yorkshire was a Royal Air Force bomber base which operated from the beginning of World War II until 1992.-History:...
, Yorkshire, averaging 207.6 m.p.h. over the Flying Kilometre course. This broke Campbell's record set 43 years previously.
Robert Horne set an Flying Mile record on April 27, 1977, at RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, Gloucestershire, in the ex-Scuderia Montjuich Ferrari 512
Ferrari 512
Ferrari 512 S was the designation of 25 five litre sports cars built until January 1970, related to the Ferrari P sports prototypes. The V12-powered cars were entered in the 1970 International Championship for Makes by the factory Scuderia Ferrari and private teams...
M, chassis number 1002, at a speed of 191.64 m.p.h.
Non wheel-driven vehicles
Over the weekend of 24/25 September 1980 Thrust2Thrust2
Thrust2 is a British designed and built jet propelled car, which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997.The car was designed by John Ackroyd and driven by Richard Noble. On October 4, 1983 the car reached a top speed of and broke the record at . This was...
driven by Richard Noble
Richard Noble
Richard Noble, OBE was the holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of ThrustSSC, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert, Nevada in 1997....
broke the Flying Mile record at a speed of 248.87 m.p.h. and the Flying Kilometre at 251.190 m.p.h. at RAF Greenham Common
RAF Greenham Common
RAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
.
In the summer of 1998, Colin Fallows bettered Richard Noble's outright UK Record in his Vampire
Vampire (car)
The Vampire is a jet-propelled car that currently holds the outright British land speed record, driven by Colin Fallows to a mean speed of on July 5, 2000 at Elvington, Yorkshire, England....
jet dragster at an average speed of 269 m.p.h. at Elvington, Yorkshire. Mark Newby raised this to 272mph in Split Second in July 2000 but Colin Fallows raised the record again on the same day using Vampire to record an average speed of 300.3mph with a peak of 329mph.
On 7th July 2006 Colin Fallows raised this 300.3mph average speed again by 1mph with an each-way average of 301mph at RAF Fairford in Vampire. His peak speed was 331mph, considerably in excess of the 314mph peak achieved by Richard Hammond a few weeks afterwards just prior to crashing the car. At the same event at RAF Fairford on 7th July 2006, Mark Newby drove his jet car Split Second to an MSA/FIA accredited average speed of 338.74mph with a peak of 362mph, the fastest speed ever recorded in the UK. The car was unable to make a return run so the one-way record remains an unofficial one. (Sources: UK Speed Record Club, FAST Facts. RACMSA)
On September 20, 2006 Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
presenter Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
reached a peak speed of 314 mi/h whilst being taught to drive the Vampire jet car. It was not a record attempt, and no official MSA or FIA Accredited timekeeping was in place, the peak speed of 314mph being recorded by the BBC's own on-board data management equipment.