Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed reached a certain type vehicle on level ground world at any given time.
Definitions
On types can be distinguished, for example, different drive types in particular electric drive in general, solar-powered, steam powered, internal combustion engine generally, diesel engine, turbine, rocket engine, jet engine. In addition, there since the beginning of a list of the fastest cars independently of the type of drive.
Until the appearance of automobiles were sailing the fastest car vehicles at speeds up to about 50 km / h In addition to record lists for automobiles there is record lists for two-wheelers.
World speed record for rail vehicles are considered as a separate class.
As a land speed record is also sometimes a top speed of mice compared to the other species referred to in the country.
Automotive Records
For automotive records the flying start is used, that is, the vehicles may take a run and is then measured on a section, usually 1 km or 1 mile long, on which has already reached its full speed the vehicle.
Records with start from standstill, so-called acceleration records, see Dragster.
In the first decades of a simple route had to be traversed, and later demanded the FIA that the sections are traversed in both directions. After 1964 two drivers claimed the record for himself - Donald Campbell with 648.7 kmh recognized by the FIA and Craig Breedlove 655.7 kmh recognized by the FIM - was this year involving vehicles with jet propulsion of "absolute world speed record for land vehicles " officially defined.
The British RAF pilot Andy Green holds the land speed record with 1228 km / h ( 763 mph ) with the Thrust SuperSonic Car. Was driving the record in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, on 15 October 1997. During the record of ThrustSSC accelerated to a speed of 600 mph (970 km / h) in just 16 seconds. In this record for the first time was a land vehicle the sound barrier broken.