Brits Break Steam Powered Land Speed Records

The British Steam Car team has broken the land speed records for a steam-powered car over a measured mile and a measured kilometre at Edward’s Air Force Base in California, USA. Both records are subject to official confirmation by the FIA.

Driver Charles Burnett III achieved an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile. The new international record breaks the 127mph record set in 1906 by American Fred Marriott driving a Stanley steamer at Daytona Beach.

Charles said: "We reached nearly 140mph on the first run before I applied the parachute. The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150mph. The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. What we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance.”

Test driver Don Wales piloted the car for the attempt at the kilometre record, achieving an average speed of 148.308mph on two runs. He said: "We peaked over 150mph and the car was handling beautifully. Having set two FIA world records is an amazing achievement and no more than the team deserve after their perseverance.”

Weighing three tonnes, the 25ft British Steam Car is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon fibre composite and aluminium around a steel space frame chassis. It is fitted with 12 lpg powered boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing. Demineralised water is pumped into the boilers at up to 50 litres per minute and the burners produce three megawatts of heat. Steam is superheated to 400 degrees Celsius, which is injected into the turbine at more than twice the speed of sound.

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