Timetable/Status as of February 2007
*** STOP PRESS ***
Team Inspiration is thrilled to announce that Louise Ann Noeth,
otherwise known as Landspeed Louise, will be the guest speaker at the
forthcoming Open Day on Sunday, 11 March 2007
at the Project Base. Louise will be giving a talk about Speed Week
at Bonneville and will also be on hand afterwards to sign copies of her
book "Bonneville Salt Flats".
To apply for tickets, please complete the
booking
form and post to the Team Inspiration office as soon as possible.
Project Update
The British Steam Car
Challenge – which will attempt to set British and World Land Speed
Records in excess of 200mph – received a considerable boost recently
when Slough Heat & Power in Berkshire provided some steam from a
purpose-built gantry to assist the team in their initial trials. Click
here to read full text of press release.
The Project also received a
big boost when the Challenge was featured in the Motoring section of the
Daily Telegraph (21 October 2006).
News from our Sponsors
Two new sponsors have been added to the ever growing list.
Red Box
International is
providing a portable power solution, whilst
Slough Heat and Power provided the
steam required for the recent Turbine test.
Team Inspiration
The next Open Day will be held on Sunday 11 March 2007. To book
for this event, simply complete the
booking
form and return to the Club Office. Reports of all the
club days are available on the website.
Sales of the Team Inspiration Merchandise are going well, so if you
haven't bought your limited edition items, don't forget that it is only
available through the Project Office. To view the lines still
available, click here.
Team Inspiration Members are thrilled to learn that their fund-raising
activities are being put to good use. The money raised by Club Members
is being used to pay for the front end, the nose, of Inspiration to be
designed and manufactured. It is the aim of the fund to raise £5,000 and
to find out how much is currently in the fund
click on this link
to the Inspiration Nose Fund. The Team Inspiration Office would like to
send a big thank you to Mr David Bartrop, one of Team Inspiration's
founder members, has recently sent a cheque for £250 towards the nose
cone fund.
Boilers
The Steam car boilers are now able to supply a stable, continuous,
controlled flow of superheated steam at the correct pressure and
temperature. However, the boiler testing has shown a limit in total
steam flow. Modifications are being carried out to the boiler designed
to increase its capacity. The boiler test program will continue over the
next few weeks until our flow rate requirement is met.
Turbines
The turbine rotors and spin test adaptors were balanced by Jim Watson of
Schenck at the Rotech Spindle Services facility in Slinfold, West
Sussex, early this year.
After balancing the adaptors and turbine rotors were assembled and taken
to Qinetiq for spin testing. Successful spin tests up to 15,000
rpm were carried out on both the first and second stage turbines.
The turbine rotors have now been fitted into their housings., which in
turn have been attached to the final drive unit.
Brakes
PDS are continuing their
sponsorship of the project by manufacturing the purpose designed brake
calipers and associated fittings. The special brake discs and their
mounting bells are being manufactured.
Bodywork
Vintage Cars has almost
completed the rear aluminium body section. However, we have put it on
hold at the moment in case the final modifications to the boiler design
result in minor bodywork changes.
Dashboard
SPA has produced a dedicated electronic instrument panel complete with
speedometer, rev-counter and warning lights as well as a programmable
multi-function digital panel.
Powertrain
The turbine/final drive assembly has now been mounted onto a dynamometer
and connected to a test boiler, ready to commence the running in
and power test programme.
Pressure Vessels
All of the pressure vessels are now completed and proof tested with the
exception of the water tanks, which are being manufactured by
CTG.
Chassis and suspension
The rolling chassis is complete and ready to begin the installation of
all of the ancillary parts. The rollover safety cage and main chassis
frame are prepared and will be completed with the installation of the
last boiler and powertrain mounting components, once the boiler testing
and dyno tests are completed.
Last
updated 20 February 2007
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