ROAD TEST - Windjet Land Craft

PERFORMANCE & BRAKES
Despite Windjet's technical advantage, breaking the existing wind-powered speed record will be no easy task. It was set in the vast Nevada desert where 40mph winds are commonplace, beer is the only recognised fuel and competitors can build up speed gradually over a 15-mile stretch in any direction they like.
Windjet by contrast is hoping to break the record at the rather less glamorous location of RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. This means waiting for the perfect 30mph crosswind then accelerating rapidly down the 1.9-mile runway, trying to reach a peak speed before jamming on the brakes - in time to scoot around the runway apron before the next wave of Harriers comes in to land. Which they do, frequently.
The attempt also requires rather more than the usual road test skills of a heavy right foot and a complete lack of mechanical sympathy. Windjet's pilot Richard Jenkins has to juggle a veritable snake's nest of ropes to squeeze the last drop of speed out of his craft without capsizing it, which at 100mph could be rather painful. Thankfully Richard has almost 3000 miles of experience and a deep understanding of how these things work. He can't be very bright, though, because he's going to let us sail the Windjet and we have none of these things.
We let Richard do the official road test acceleration runs to show us what it's capable of before taking the helm. A quick nudge from the team's knackered old Peugeot 405 estate to get him rolling then he's off on his own. He goes slowly until he hits about 30mph when there's a sudden burst of acceleration as the 'apparent wind' starts to take effect and sends Richard up to 80mph in just over 20sec.
At this point it all starts to go a bit wobbly as one wheel lifts then slams back down again when Richard bears away from the wind. A few more tweaks and he's up to 102mph - a new British record on the GPS speed recorder. He depowers the rig, pulls on the front-mounted disc brake and skids to a halt. In ideal conditions he should go on to reach 125mph.
Maybe we'd best wait for the wind to drop before we have our go. We'd hate to break anything - especially our legs.
BRINGS A NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE WIND PROBLEM

HANDLING & RIDE
Driving the Windjet wouldn't be too bad were it not for a couple of salient points which Richard has failed to mention until now: Windjet has no suspension to speak of and the front disc brake is prone to locking up. Apparently there is no need to worry, though, because those massive tyres and the wide track means it corners almost as quickly as an F1 car. Oh good.
The tiny cut-off steering wheel feels normal enough, albeit rather heavy at low speeds, but all those ropes are a bit worrying and the handbrake works the wrong way round - you push it down and away from you. This could be interesting.

Revolutionary aerofoil should enable Windjet to smash the wind-powered Land Speed Record of 116mph
Windjet team are all under 25; craft performs best in steady crosswind; wheel assembly from ChampCar
You'll need cojones at least this big to sail it
Dep ed Andreae thinks he's found a rip cord
10,000ft runway at RAF Waddington lacks Nevada's glamour. Is that how they make it do 100mph?

Windjet Land Craft - ROAD TEST

Performance and Specifications

 

Engine
Layout Single composite aerofoil
Size 12 square metres
Max power 1 tonne of side force at 100mph
Power to weight 2.5 tonnes per tonne
Installation Rear, vertical, single front wheel, two rear wheels. None driven
Construction Carbon fibre main spar, with three fixed panels coated in a 5mm carbon fibre sandwich skin. Each is shaped to take advantage of the differing wind speeds according to their height above ground
Height/width 7350mm/6750mm
Shape Classic aerofoil design swivels up to 45 degrees either side of the straight-ahead
Speed to wind ratio 6:1

Gearbox
Type A unique spring/damper system controlled from the cockpit is used to trim the sheeting angle and maximise power. As the craft accelerates the angle is changed to take advantage of the 'apparent wind'

Maximum design speeds
On land 130mph
On ice 180mph
On sea 75knots

Acceleration from 30mph
Surface dry
True mph
sec
speedo mph
40
3.75
-
50
8.1
-
60
10.2
-
70
16.8
-
80
21.8
-
90
35.8
-
100
42.3
-
Standing qtr mile na
Standing km na
30-70mph 16.8sec

Steering
Type Teleflex cable operates as a pushrod on the steering arm
Turns lock to lock 3.0

 Layout
Fuel consumption test results
Suspension
Front Front swing arm with pre-loaded pneumatic cylinder
Rear Miniature single wishbone with a fixed pressure rod in place of a spring/damper unit to measure wheel loadings

Wheels & tyres
Wheels 14Jx15in
Made of Magnesium alloy
Tyres 13.0/25.0 Avon slicks
Spare None

Brakes
Front 240mm ventilated disc
Rear None

Dimensions
Body 1-door land yacht Cd 0.02
Front/rear tracks 0/6000mm
Turning circle 24m
Min/max front legroom 2000/2000mm
Min/max rear legroom na
Min/max front headroom 480mm
Interior width front/rear 780 mm
Boot width na Boot length seats up/down na
Max boot height na Kerb weight 400kg
Width (including non-existent mirrors) 6750mm
Brakes
Wind to speed ratio