Fresh designs for 1,000mph car
Children's author Frank Cottrell Boyce has announced he is writing a new series of books featuring the flying car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and fantasy could become reality with plans outlined for the world's first 1,000mph car.
Children's author Frank Cottrell Boyce has announced he is writing a new series of books featuring the flying car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and fantasy could become reality with plans outlined for the world's first 1,000mph car.
The team that set new land speed records with the Thrust2 and ThrustSSC cars visited Enginuity in Coalbrookdale to describe its stunning new project to increase the speed record by 31 per cent.
The family-friendly lecture was part of a national campaign designed to inspire 1.5 million children to follow the lead of the Bloodhound SSC design team and get involved in science, technology, engineering and maths.
The visit came as it was announced the first book of three featuring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be published in November but the writer admitted he had "no idea" why the family of the original author, James Bond creator Ian Fleming, had asked him to do it.
It will bring the tale into the modern world and tell the story of a family who get more than they bargained for after they soup up their VW camper van with an old racing car engine.
Of the 1,000mph car Jules Tipler, communications manager for the Bloodhound SSC project, said: "We want to get kids hooked on the idea that science can open doors.
"The idea is to reach 1.5 million children in the lead up to the record attempt in late 2012, including visits to 4,000 schools."
The team's plan is to use a jet engine from a Eurofighter plane to get the car up to 300 mph, then light a rocket to help driver Andy Green hit 1,050 mph.
