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This is a link post North American Eagle has finally killed someone
Around 1997, when Thrust SSC was setting it's land speed record, there were a few other teams trying the same thing. Spirit of America was possibly the most likely to succeed, until they had a wheel lift at 675 mph and severely damaged the car.

Aussie Invader III dropped out when Thrust SSC pushed the record beyond the design speed of their car.

And then... There was this.



Click for bigger (143 kb)

North American Eagle was exactly what you'd expect a jet fighter with the wings chopped off and wheels mounted on an rsj to look like. Built with seemingly total disregard for lift or downforce. First time I clapped eyes on it I thought it'd end up killing it's pilot.

Development has been slow. Possibly because it looks so alarmingly dangerous that nobody wanted to be involved. Their Wikipedia page tellingly says "For the last 13 years, development and testing of the vehicle has been ongoing with no notable progress to date."

Sadly former Mythbusters host Jessi Combs gambled with it and lost.
 (I helped save b3ta! evil_andy Stick stick stick stick sticky sticky stick stick, Wed 28 Aug 2019, 22:41, Reply)
This is a normal post Even though the first thing Sky news concentrates on is her age
36 is very young to die
 (I helped save b3ta! Sn0tters 🇯🇴🇧🇧🇮🇪, Wed 28 Aug 2019, 23:14, Reply)
This is a normal post 39. Still young, though.

(Huw Edwards Digital ID is fine, shut up, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 7:15, Reply)
This is a normal post
Either way - totally avoidable.

To be clear I'm fine with people risking their lives in land speed record attempts, but this particular car was so clearly a deathtrap I'm amazed anyone set foot in it.
 (I helped save b3ta! evil_andy Stick stick stick stick sticky sticky stick stick, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 7:44, Reply)
This is a normal post I know bugger all about aerodynamics etc
and those working on it are no doubt experts.

But yeah, I imagine a plane fuselage would produce a fair bit of lift even without wings? It still looks like something that wants to take off.
 (horrid, Wed 28 Aug 2019, 23:21, Reply)
This is a normal post Especially with ground effect adding to the problems...

(I helped save b3ta! Happosai _,,,,_(O ; o)_,,,, Wed 28 Aug 2019, 23:31, Reply)
This is a normal post Works fine in KSP
for situations where
"fine" == "enough to get you within 2km of where you want to be before triggering a RUD"
 (I helped save b3ta! Boot I want to know what you meant, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 11:30, Reply)
This is a normal post Doesn't take much logic to guess that tailplanes are fitted for a reason.

(I helped save b3ta! FeralCatMan Unusual disease collector., Wed 28 Aug 2019, 23:51, Reply)
This is a normal post typical woman driver

(I helped save b3ta! cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 3:07, Reply)
This is a normal post This is a funny joke.
You are very funny.
 (I helped save b3ta! George Blank my 2nd last sig was funny, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 12:20, Reply)
This is a normal post not here, mum, all my friend are watching

(I helped save b3ta! cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 14:26, Reply)
This is a normal post Just looking at it you know it is "wrong" in some fundamental way

(I helped save b3ta! Thrill_My_Chinchilla is old and unimproved, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 8:42, Reply)
This is a normal post finally!

(I helped save b3ta! $$ ✅, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 9:00, Reply)
This is a normal post
"Inevitably" might have been a better choice.
 (I helped save b3ta! evil_andy Stick stick stick stick sticky sticky stick stick, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 9:20, Reply)
This is a normal post Looking at that photo
I’d put good money on the nose having lifted. Probably somewhere north of 550 mph once the dynamic pressure built up sufficiently around the front wheel area.

Don’t think much of the lateral stability either - so a side bet of it having veered off-course and rolled.
 (I helped save b3ta! wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 9:18, Reply)
This is a normal post wrong
it hit a skip that had been left out carelessly by a builder
 (I helped save b3ta! cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 10:16, Reply)
This is a normal post probably
arstechnica.com/cars/2016/10/the-pride-of-a-nation-the-north-american-eagle-land-speed-record-project/

"at over 630mph you'd actually get 800lbs of lift on the nose," Shadle explained. "But even then the weight on the front end is only about 4400lbs—that's quite acceptable"

read on another article that they've had steering issues in the past.

Also has a raspberry pi.
 (horrid, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 12:52, Reply)
This is a normal post As ballast?

(I helped save b3ta! wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 22:02, Reply)
This is a normal post On a side note
I would highly recommend reading Thrust by Richard Noble, which tells the story of the development of Thrust 2 and SSC. I hadn't realised what a tinpot, men in sheds type development it was. As I recall when after getting the land speed record in Thrust 2, they ran it through a computer model and discovered it was 2mph from flipping. In some ways I feel the development of Bloodhound was doomed because it was too corporate.
 (I helped save b3ta! herd of chickens First part only £1.99 and comes with a free, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 9:21, Reply)
This is a normal post
Just for the Record is also a good read on Thrust 2, and chunks of it seem to have been posted here:
woottonbridgeiow.org.uk/ackroyd/thrust2.php
 (I helped save b3ta! evil_andy Stick stick stick stick sticky sticky stick stick, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 9:29, Reply)
This is a normal post Thanks for that

(I helped save b3ta! herd of chickens First part only £1.99 and comes with a free, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 10:01, Reply)
This is a normal post That's a shame
She was a good example of women actually being practical and having some decent skills instead of spray painting something the men had made. It's a shame that she passed but it was a daft thing to do if she wanted to keep on living.
 (I helped save b3ta! JamHamster My eyes, my beautiful eyes!, Thu 29 Aug 2019, 11:46, Reply)