This day in history: Craig Breedlove's jet-powered car Spirit of America set a new world record for fastest speed on land, as he became the first person to drive an automobile at more than 500 miles per hour (800 km/h) on this day in 1964.
Racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, he averaged 526.26 miles per hour (almost 847 km/h); the previous mark of 468.72 miles per hour (754.33 km/h) had been set only two days earlier. On his way back down the 10-mile (16 km) Bonneville track, however, Breedlove deployed the parachute that was supposed to stop his car after it completed one mile, and, in his words, "It ripped to shreds, I was going so fast." He coasted for two more miles and tried the second parachute, and it ripped as well. He then pushed on the disc brakes and left skid marks of 6 miles (9.7 km) long until they burned out, and was still at 350 miles per hour (560 km/h) as he reached the end of the track; he continued three more miles, striking two telephone poles, skidded sideways into a dike, went airborne for 30 feet (9.1 m) and landed in 18-foot (5.5 m) deep waters— and walked away, uninjured.
On November 15, 1965, Breedlove breached the 600 mph barrier at 600.601 mph (966.574 km/h) in Spirit of America Sonic I at Bonneville.
Buy : Halloween and the Strange in Story and History for 99 cents (50 Chapters) and Buy this Kindle book on Amazon on Vampires and Werewolves for only 1.99
No comments:
Post a Comment