103 year old land speed record broken - Democratic Underground

muriel_volestrangler

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Tue Aug-25-09 07:01 PM
Original message

103 year old land speed record broken

by the world's fastest kettle:

A team of British engineers has broken the longest-standing world land speed record in California.

The steam car, Inspiration, recorded an average speed of 139.843mph (225.06km/h) at Edwards air base, in the Mojave Desert, smashing the 1906 record.
...
American Fred Marriot held the record set in 1906 of 127mph (204km/h).

The 25-foot-long, three-tonne "kettle" was driven by its main financier Charles Burnett III from Lymington, Hampshire.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8209288.stm

Video at link.

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Ptah

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Tue Aug-25-09 07:13 PM
Response to Original message

1. Thanks for the link, muriel_volestrangler.

I'd like to look at the insides of that machine.

The article says it has 12 boilers.

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MilesColtrane

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Tue Aug-25-09 07:20 PM
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2. "Inspiration" is a rather tepid name.

Too bad they didn't try for corporate sponsorship...something like, "The Earl Grey Flyer".

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jakeXT

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Tue Aug-25-09 07:43 PM
Response to Original message

3. sounds like an airplane, but it's so slow

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rurallib

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Tue Aug-25-09 09:15 PM
Response to Original message

4. Boy did I read that wrong - I thought speed record for a 103 year old

I was thinking in terms of feet or maybe yards per hour.

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Ptah

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Tue Aug-25-09 09:16 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. That's why there are hand brakes on those walkers.

:hide:

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