New land speed record attempt - RANT!!!

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rocketandroll

New member
Just heard the news that Richard Noble is working on a new land speed record car... this time aiming for 1000mph.

Great news... apart from the fact that I\'ve found out that someone I\'ve had personal dealings with in the past and who I personally regard to be the most clueless and contemptible a-hole is heading up development of the hybrid rocket engine they are using, a guy called Daniel Jubb.

There are about four UK based groups who have spent tha last two decades working on developing hybrid rocket engines on a shoe-string budget and have achieved some great things.... DJ however has a massive amount of money (from his family\'s interests in Steel as I recall) but absolutely zip relevant experience or expertise.

I trully can\'t believe that money talks so loudly when it comes to a technical project like this...

DAMN I\'m angry!


Ben

PS: Sorry for the way ot geek rant, but this is something INCREDIBLY important to me and I don\'t think I\'ve been this angry in the last ten years.
 
R

rocketandroll

New member
I guess so.... just unbelievable frustrating that someone with the inteligence and expertise of Richard Noble would pass over the massive wealth of relevant experience there is in this field in the UK and employ someone with no relevant experience just because they have some money to throw at it :-(

He\'s just dropped in my estimation... a long way :-(

Just spoken to a friend who\'s done land speed records himself before and who has 20+ years experience in hybrid rockets for record attempts and he\'s spitting blood....

Ah well, they\'ll hopefully find out soon enough that they don\'t have the expertise in-house :-(


Ben
 
green stuff

green stuff

Active member
I hope this won\'t be missinterpretated, but what is the point in these land speed records?

I can understand tests on rocket engins ... that go up. But what is gained at having them go at ground level and on wheels? Besides the simple fact of being able to do it ;).
 
R

rocketandroll

New member
\"For Britain and the hell of it\" as Richard Noble said.

All record breaking attempts are technically \'pointless\' if you break it down, apart from the technological advancements that come from these kind of endeavors.

That said... twenty something guys kicking an inflated pigs bladder around a field for an hour and a half is also utterly pointless, but that hasn\'t stopped it being built into a multi-billion pound industry and that people won\'t kill for it.


Ben
 
green stuff

green stuff

Active member
OK, I get you ;).

So are the technological advancements greater/easier to get/cost less than in \"conventional\" rocket research? Is it comparable (as in the technology that\'s used)?

Again, I\'m not judging, I\'m just trying to understand ;).
 
No Such Agency

No Such Agency

New member
Never underestimate the engineering applications of a lot of money. In the real world Tony Stark couldn\'t build his arc reactor out of scraps in a cave...

The geeks are still going to find new fun projects to work on, and only a few speed fanatics will even know the name of the rich guy who did this, and life goes on.
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
Returned this thread after a discussing my concerns with Avelorn as I thought that this raised a question and reated a \"Grey Area\"

My reasoning being thus:
The normal forum rules are intended to cover statements made between forum participants, but this issue fell into a possible “Grey Area” regarding comments made about people outside the forums. I hope that you will all understand that as moderators we have to look at both protecting the commentators and the commentated upon when they are unable to respond.

Now let me say that we regard that Ben did nothing WRONG in this, I just needed to clarify my thoughts with the other moderators.
However an upgrade to my Works Firewall messed up the PM to Ben and made the thing a little more Clumsy than it needed to be. (Technology is wonderful)
 
S

Sauce Devil

New member
Originally posted by No Such Agency
Never underestimate the engineering applications of a lot of money. In the real world Tony Stark couldn\'t build his arc reactor out of scraps in a cave...

The geeks are still going to find new fun projects to work on, and only a few speed fanatics will even know the name of the rich guy who did this, and life goes on.
Click to expand...

I agree completely, the tin-shed enthusiasts may be brilliant and capable of making ordinary machines do extraordinary things but rocket-cars are powered by dollar-bills (or pounds).

Personally I\'m not interested in rocket-cars anyway because they\'re really just wingless aircraft rather than real cars that can turn corners.
 
freakinacage

freakinacage

Well-known member
Originally posted by No Such Agency
Never underestimate the engineering applications of a lot of money. In the real world Tony Stark couldn\'t build his arc reactor out of scraps in a cave...
Click to expand...
how could you SAY that?!! are you saying hollywood is lying to us?!!
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
Originally posted by rocketandroll
I guess so.... just unbelievable frustrating that someone with the inteligence and expertise of Richard Noble would pass over the massive wealth of relevant experience there is in this field in the UK and employ someone with no relevant experience just because they have some money to throw at it :-(
...
Click to expand...
Step 1. Secure funding. Without money, all else is pointless.

Step 2. Hire designer.

Step 3. Build

Step 4. Test

He\'s currently getting step one.
Now on to step two.
 
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ScottRadom

Shogun of Saskatchewan
Originally posted by No Such Agency
In the real world Tony Stark couldn\'t build his arc reactor out of scraps in a cave...
Click to expand...

Actually I watched the documentary \"Iron Man\" last night and it seems Tony Stark can build an arc reactor in a cave. I watched that part in Slo-Mo and he def. did it.


But to the original poster....


I am being completely serious about this, not in any way do I want you to think I am making light of this thing.

Why don\'t you go for it?

I\'m not being silly. You are clearly passionate about this, have some connections relevant to the attempt. At least investigate it and see what it would take to involve yourself in this. I know it likely takes millions but it sounds like you\'ve got the beginnings of a David vs. Goliath thing going here and money can be found whenever people have something to cheer for (Soccer etc.). You would be AMAZED at how much money can be raised when a person who is informed and passionate takes a step into an event like this.

Take a serious look at it and check with your friend who has the knowledge and also feels slighted by this.
 
Shawn R. L.

Shawn R. L.

New member
I haven\'t heard of any of these guys and only ocassionally hear about these land speed things when they are on the news.......so, I have no dog in this fight.
That said, money is simply one of the components in breaking new technical frontiers. In this sense, money is simply a tool. The person wielding the tool is another thing. It is hard when someone works hard on a tiny budget and is obviously a genius get\'s surpassed when if they had had the advantage of a ton of money would have won out.
 
S

Starks333

New member
Originally posted by No Such Agency
Never underestimate the engineering applications of a lot of money. In the real world Tony Stark couldn\'t build his arc reactor out of scraps in a cave...

The geeks are still going to find new fun projects to work on, and only a few speed fanatics will even know the name of the rich guy who did this, and life goes on.
Click to expand...

just keep in mind they had all of his weapons already there, so he simply took already existing parts and such and made the mini reactor which if you notice wasnt as powerful as the one he made once in his proper lab

;)


as for land speed, its pushing limits, the only way humans can learn

instead of pushing the sky, its pushing speed on the ground

who said its useless, one day there might be a way to go that fast while keeping everything stable and safe and you will have high speed transportation from one point of a country to another

not saying its practical, but the sky is the limit...er...wait that saying doesnt really work anymore ;)
 
J

jahminis

New member
@rocketandroll: chalk this one up as provin\' the old adage, \"it\'s not what ya know, but who ya know\"...
if some jackass has all the money, he\'s gonna get the spotlight...
some mad genius in his backyard shed may do great things, but if he doesn\'t know the right guy to put the spotlight on him, then he\'s lost...

i always say, \"it\'s all about the hook-ups\"...ya gotta know the right people...
unfortunately, it seems that it\'s always been the a-holes who know the right people...
a-holes and paper go hand in handlol...

cheers
jah
 
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