Bloodhound SSC at Scottish Parliament Holyrood

The Institution announced Castle Precision as Bloodhound's chosen wheels manufacturer.

The Institution brought the Bloodhound SSC (Supersonic Car) show car to the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood on 25 April 2012, to mark the announcement that the fastest wheels in history will be engineered and manufactured in Scotland. 

Castle Precision Engineering, Glasgow has been selected to engineer and manufacture the 90 kg solid aluminium wheels for the world’s ultimate racing car. “These wheels will be critical to the performance of Bloodhound,” said Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport and Manufacturing, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, “It is testament to the exceptional manufacturing skills base in Scotland that they will be made here.”

Wing Commander and Bloodhound driver, Andy Green, made a special appearance on the day to announce the wheels manufacturer, attracting crowds of children and members of the general public eager to hear more about his current record with Thrust SSC and how he’s feeling about the upcoming adventure. “People have been using wheels for 5,000 years and these are the ultimate,” said Andy Green, who set the existing Land Speed Record of 763mph driving Thrust SSC in 1997. “A vast amount of design and engineering has gone into them.  They illustrate the extraordinary nature of Bloodhound; at the speeds we're aiming for, nothing is straightforward. Even the simplest aspect is challenging.”

During the day, around 25 MSPs came to visit the Bloodhound car, including Mark Griffin, the youngest MSP.  Mark said: "I was 12 when the current land speed record was set and it inspired me to learn more about it and eventually pursue a career in engineering. I was delighted to welcome the Bloodhound project to parliament to help inspire future generations of British engineers.

The Bloodhound Project, sponsored by the Institution, aims to break the world land speed record and reach 1,000 mph, with the main aim of inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists. With the show-car on display, it certainly had a lasting impression on the children that attended with many proclaiming they wanted to become engineers and be involved in exciting projects like Bloodhound.