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Don Vesco smashed wheel driven record
- Turbinator top 458 MPH!
On October 18th 2001, Don Vesco, veteran record holder
on two wheels, shattered the record for wheel driven cars
with a two way average speed of 458.440mph for the flying
mile.


Turbinator Specifications |
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DIMENSIONS
Width overall: 36 inches (at widest point)
Length overall: 31 feet
Height overall: 32 inches at top of tail
Weight: 3,374 pounds (dry)
Wheelbase: 18 feet 11 inches (227 inches)
Front tread: 17.25 inches
Rear tread width: 12.5 inches
Front end caster: 20 degrees
TURBINE ENGINE: T55-L-11A SA
Manufactured: Avco Lycoming Division
Fuel: Jet A
Fuel Consumption: 6.5 gallons per run
Horsepower: 3,750 SHP @ 16,000 RPM
Engine Weight: 730 pounds
Induction: 8 stage compressor
TIRES AND WHEELS
24.5 x 7.5 - 16 Mickey Thompson
730 MPH maximum rated speed
Diameter: 24.5 inches
Width: 7.5 inches
Tire pressure: 150 psi
Tires: no inner tubes
Wheels: Two piece special alloy |
Able to run on the longest and smoothest salt course the
Bonneville flats have been able to produce in decades, Vesco
arrived at the WORLD FINALS land speed meeting knowing that
he had already run a record topping 427mph in the previous
year.However technical problems stopped the team, headed by
brother Rick, from getting the car turned round within the
regulation 1 hour for it's required return run. This prevented
them taking an official FIA approved record in 2000. They
also knew that two other teams had the potential to run similar
speeds and that one of them, Nolan White, was due to appear
at the same meeting, setting up a potential head-to-head contest.
As it turned out, White was also to top the old record of
409, held by Al Teague, for the flying mile. Unfortunatley
their 412mph two-way run, under FIA timing, came a day too
late! By then the Vesco crew had already put the old mark
well in the shade.The other potential crew, The Burkland's,
suffered an accident in an earlier land speed meeting and
both driver and car were unable to reappear for what was that
final event of the season.
Veso has run at Bonneville repeatedly since his debut as
a 16 year old in 1955. During that time he has broken numerous
records including the outright motorcycle land speed record,
which remained unbeaten for 18 years. His latest streamliner,the
4000lb, gas turbine TURBINATOR, which takes it's power unit
from a helecopter,made it's first shakedown run on the 17th
of October and immediately rattled off a 356mph pass before
returning the following morning to clock 458.7 mph on the
outward run, leaving the traps at over 461mph! With very little
time to spare, a 458.1 mph on the return clinched the new
record despite blowing a tyre whilst still in the measured
mile! Oddly the team has made a greater play out of beating
the existing gas-turbine car record, held since 1964 by Donald
Campbell, than they have the wheel-driven record held by Teague
since 1991.

All credit to the Vesco team, a superb and well deserved
record which puts Don into the exclusive club (which includes
Donald & Sir Malcolm Campbell and Sir Henry Segrave),
of those legendary figures who have held outright speed records
in two different disciplines. The team press release states
that 500mph is their aim for 2002 and on present form it might
just be possible, only 12 months after pushing the record
significantly above 400mph for the first time!
Will the Burkland's and Nolan White still be in the hunt
by then and what of Al Teague? Is a new golden-era of record
breaking in process? Lets hope so.
Take a Ride at 458 MPH
The video here was taken during the down and return runs for
the FIA record at the World Finals meet in October, 2001.
The videographers were Paul Busta and Graham Wright, the editor
Elliott Estrine.
What You'll See
The video is composed of shots from four cameras. The
start of the video is shot from a camera facing toward the
tail of the Turbinator, mounted in the air deflector at the
front of the engine. The shots of the car moving down the
course are from a camera mounted on top of the car behind
the drivers compartment. The shots inside the drivers compartment
are from a camera mounted behind Don's right shoulder. Finally,
there are shots from a hand held camera at the 5 and 1/2 mile
mark.
The gauge in the upper left inside the drivers compartment
is the air speed indicator, 400 mph is at about 11 o'clock
on the gauge, 500 mph is at about 1 o'clock. The fastest time
shown on the gauge is about 470 mph, the terminal speed. Remember
458 mph is the average over the last mile. At 470 mph you
will see Don push the parachute button on the right hand side
of the steering wheel.
Enjoy the Ride!!
Select a mode by clicking on one of the following links.
These are large files, be patient. If the image seems jerky
and broken up or the sound is broke up, don't panic. Let it
finish, then click the play button on the windows media player
to play it again and it should be ok. The Super Bandwidth
file shows a larger picture, at the expense of download time.
High
Bandwidth (9 meg file)
Super
Bandwidth (21 meg file)

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