News
The full-scale model of the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) and Bath University’s Formula Student racing car will both be on display on Monday 4 November at the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) in Westminster to mark the start of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week.
Secretary of State Vince Cable, and BIS Ministers Lord Younger, Jo Swinson and David Willetts will be meeting the teams involved in both projects during the day.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is one of the key sponsors of Bloodhound SSC, which aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by breaking the world land speed record and reaching over 1,000 miles per hour in 2015.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Formula Student event is the world’s largest student motorsport competition. The competition challenges student engineers to design, build and race a single seat racing car in one year. Each year, around 100 student teams from around the world converge on the home of British motorsport, Silverstone, to compete.
Secretary of State, Vince Cable, said:
"The Bloodhound car is British engineering at its best. This pioneering project will inspire tomorrow’s engineers, by showing young people just how exciting and rewarding a career in science and engineering can be."
Stephen Tetlow, Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:
“The UK needs to double the number of people going into engineering. If we don’t, the country will fall behind in terms of jobs, UK competitiveness and its capability to renew the country’s ageing national infrastructure. And without more people taking up engineering careers we have no chance of tackling the big challenges facing humankind such as rising population and climate change. Through Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and showcasing the exciting work of Bloodhound SSC and Formula Student we can show the hugely exciting prospects of pursuing a career in engineering.”
The Institution is also holding an exhibition on the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car for Tomorrow’s Engineers Week on 4-7 November at the House of Commons in Westminster.
Notes to Editors
The Bloodhound Project is first and foremost an education project designed to inspire future generations to take up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by showcasing these subjects in the most exciting way possible. The goal of Bloodhound SSC is to attain a 1,000 mph world land speed record, using the pencil-shaped car, powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach 1,000 miles per hour together with a Cosworth CA2010 Formula 1 V8 petrol engine auxiliary power unit. It is being developed and built with the intention of breaking the land speed record by 33%, the largest ever margin. For more information on the project: http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/
Formula Student challenges student engineers to design, build and race a single seat racing car in one year. The cars are then judged on their speed, acceleration, handling and endurance in a series of time-trial races, while the teams are tested on their design, costing and business presentation skills. For more information: http://www.formulastudent.com/