Glasgow firm to engineer wheels for Bloodhound SSC

The product of a three year design study by Bloodhound engineers, Innoval Technology and Lockheed Martin, the 90kg, 900mm diameter solid aluminium wheels are designed to spin up to 177 times per second at top speed and withstand a load of 50,000 radial G at the rim. According to the Bloodhound team, the challenges it had to overcome included creating a design that would not fly apart when turning 10,200 times per minute, and which could be manufactured to incredibly tight tolerances with zero distortion. Marcus Tiefenbrun, md of Castle Precision Engineering, said: "Our background and experience of manufacturing critical aero engine components means we have the investment, skills and the expertise to deliver on the highly critical nature of these wheels. "Our involvement on the project forms an integral part of our own drive in encouraging and attracting the next generation of talented young people into engineering. This is vital to the re balancing of the economy and UK industry that is based on innovation and High Value Manufacturing." Andy Green, who set the existing Land Speed Record of 763mph driving Thrust SSC in 1997, added: "People have been using wheels for 5,000 years and these are the ultimate. A vast amount of design and engineering has gone into them. They illustrate the extraordinary nature of Bloodhound."