FABMAN
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I think they would need larger fuel cell, now they're are out of fuel at 1000'
1/4 numbers would be? (2 Viewers)
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Rat
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I would only believe maybe a good handful would make a full 1320 and fuel would probably be the easiest issue needed to be addressed. AA Dale was always right that instead of 1200 feet and blowing it up, it now happens at 900. If we went back to 1320 (HYPOTHETICAL, as in traveling toward never) it would probably take teams 1/2 a season to get back to the edge of the line records. Do I believe some team out there (Palmer or Lagana) would try to take a TF down the once done 1/2 strip? You bet!
Of course ....I'm aware it wouldn't work for the reasons you mention and lots of others. I'm just wondering what kind of top speed is theoretically attainable based on two things only - the available power (again, assuming the engine stays together), and aero drag.
Thompson's car, of course, is a dedicated top-speed vehicle and has no problem with running 450...but it's not running anywhere near 10,000 horsepower. More like 4,000 - they aren't repurposed A/FD motors - they have to live long enough to complete the task at hand.
Cliff
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Hmmm, am thinking about tires. Using the same type of tire used by nitro cars, how much speed could they run before they blow up? I think someone on this forum said around 350-375 would be all the tires are capable of. So a tire would have to be developed that would be capable of, say, 450 MPH and go from there. It really would be interesting to see how fast a nitro car could run 1/2 mile and what kind of ET would be run. Maybe 8-9 seconds "walking the car out of the gate", with an engine running around 75 - 80% and maybe a 2.70 gear. I do remember Riverside 1/2 mile drags, but never remember a T/F car running that distance. What they could have run in 1/2 mile in early 1960's wouldn't be close to what they run today in 1000'.
ironpony
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The top speed right now is limited to the max rpm x gear ratio x tire dia that is not the formula but that is the limiting factor right now.
The tires are second as stated above.
They also would only need about half the HP to run that far.
The tires are second as stated above.
They also would only need about half the HP to run that far.
Old Man
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Nobody has died in a while so where we are is where we need to be. Even at this rate there will be some more limits put in.
Cliff
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Limits? heh... if you told T/F, OK, run 2000 lbs & 8:71 blower, how long do ya think it would be before they ran 4.90's and 300? The "problem" is that the tuners who develop the combination are all geniuses and they can make anything run fast. AA Dale comes to mind, among many others.
vegasnitro
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I think aero drag is the limiting factor for sure, even if the engine would last long enough for run on the salt at Bonneville, I do not think a Top Fuel car would approach 450 MPH, because I personally believe they wouldn't be able to push that big rear wing thru the air at that speed, to say nothing about the aerodynamic mess around all of the open wheels on the vehicle. In that regard, I think a Funny Car has a higher theoretical top speed, but I still think we are dealing with too much frontal area and rear wing to get to 450. On the salt, you are also taking away all of the mechanical grip these cars generate on asphalt/concrete via the big rear tires. As such, it would be better to run a fuel car on a very long stretch of straight asphalt or concrete, rather than the salt.
I also disagree that the Challenger II has no problem doing 450, they only did it ONCE. Their record is actually 448 MPH, as they ran 446 and 450 and got averaged together.
I understand we are playing a pretty simple game of "what if" here ... I just want everyone to know that even if you can tilt the variables your way, that 400 MPH is VERY hard to do, 450 has literally been done ONCE.
EDITED to add:
This is probably the closest thing to what we are talking about in practice, and it belongs to Mike Strasburg and his brothers (yes that Mike Strasburg from Top Fuel/A-Fuel in NHRA). They set the record in Blown Fuel Lakester at 373MPH. It is the fastest open wheeled vehicle in the world.
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Speed Demon team readies twin-turbo big-block for Speed Week 2019 - Hagerty Media
Ever evolving in the quest for land speed records.
www.hagerty.com
Speed Demon’s current records:
A/BFS: 423.521mph
B/BFS: 416.511mph
C/BFS: 437.183mph
D/BFS: 422.509mph
F/BFS: 343.494mph
Due to poor salt conditions in 2019, Poteet's car ran "only" 369.533 mph.
Cliff
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It amazes me how fast these cars go with a small block. Also interesting how much power a tiny little engine can make. In Japan, there is a class of cars called Kei, 660 CC maximum. Some engineers from Honda put one of these tiny engines w/ turbo in a streamliner & ran over 200 MPH. I was astonished they could get that much power from that engine. Have also seen a lot of really fast 4 bangers at the drags, 6.90's in a door car with around 140 CI. And mid 5's with a 6 banger Pro Mod car. Guess that's why Mustangs & Cameros have DOHC engines.
Cliff
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Unhinged: Maybe The Train Needs Another Look After All - BangShift.com
He's ridden trains in Ireland and was impressed, but he's never ridden one in the USA. McTag talks about why the train needs another look in the States.
bangshift.com
I watch a show on U Tube called Japan Railway Journal. Lotsa stories on the Shinkansen trains, which are really fast. So, suppose you made a copy of this body and tweaked it as a streamliner, or even a T/F car. Would be interesting to see how it would perform. BTW, Texas wants to build one of these trains (w/ assist from Japan) to go between Houston & Dallas. Whoa.... would I love to ride that!
They use Linear Motors, Magnetic propulsion. They have been using that design on rollercoasters for quite a while. Take a ride on one! I've, like many haven't been on a train with that technology but, I wonder how much it would cost to power the grid for long distances being it would only be power pulses?
Cliff
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I think most of the trains in Japan have electric motors & use a device on top pf the rail cars, that transmits electricity from o/head wires. Pretty much like our lite rail here in Phoenix (which I ride all the time). They do have an experimental mag lift train. Saw video on that & it actually "takes off & lands like an aircraft". You feel a bump when it goes from mag lev to wheels. Faster than stink!
