It might be nearly impossible to get breakdown insurance for the supersonic Bloodhound vehicle – so it is just as well there are so many top-end engineering companies backing this ambitious project.
If you can't beat your own land speed record, then whose can you beat? So could run the ethos of Project Bloodhound, which plans to surpass the previous record of 763 mph set in 1997 by Andy Green. The previous 1983 record of 633mph was set by Richard Noble: for the last few years, both men have joined forces to work on Project Bloodhound with the aim of beating the current record by 33%.
Speed trials of up to 200 mph are set to take place this year on the Hakskeen Pan in the Mier area of the Northern Cape, South Africa. A 12 mile long tract of land 2 miles wide has been cleared for the project.
But while glory for Noble and Green - and for the UK in general - is no doubt a key goal, so too is the desire to persuade more British children to consider engineering as a career.
It is estimated that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 200,000 engineers in the UK.
And so Project Bloodhound has its work cut out. But the scheme is anything if not ambitious.
However, the team does have some impressive backers: the government donated an EJ200 turbofan to the project, which will propel the Bloodhound to around 300mph. After that, tailor-made Norwegian Nammo rockets will take the vehicle to 1000mph. Jaguar, meanwhile, will provide an engine to drive the oxidiser pump for the rocket.
We'll be posting more on Bloodhound as news of test trials comes in.
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