CDP is proud to support the Bloodhound initiative as it believes that it is vital to inspire young people to become the scientists and engineers of the future. The fundamental mission of the Project is to confront and overcome challenges that at first seem impossible using science, technology and engineering, and to share the project journey with young people in schools and universities around the UK.
CDP is on board to support Bloodhound as an SME sponsor, but will also be actively involved in a number of planned projects as part of the engineering and design of the supersonic car. The consortium of partners and sponsors include major companies such as Lockheed Martin and Cosworth, as well as the Royal Air Force, Army and several UK universities.
A team of engineers at CDP is already involved in finalising the design of the steering wheel for manufacture. The initial steering wheel design was created by the Bloodhound team using a number of novel design techniques including bio-mimicry and crowd sourcing, with early concepts being developed in clay from the driver, Andy Green’s hand imprints in the triple layer fire-proof gloves he will wear for the record attempt.
CDP is taking these initial concepts and optimising for driver ergonomics and reaction time, whilst creating a design ready for manufacture. A whole range of considerations have been included, from the shape of the handgrips to the haptics and location of the buttons and switches which operate the jet and rocket engines as well as parachutes and communications systems. Amongst all these technical constraints, CDP has also refined an inspiring aesthetic appearance provided by the BLOODHOUND team that reflects the Project’s ethos. The steering wheel is to be manufactured using the latest titanium 3D printing technology which facilitates complex geometry and a high strength to weight ratio, offering great freedom in both form and ergonomics.
The final steering wheel will be on view throughout the land speed record runs from the cockpit cameras, broadcasting Andy Green’s view across the globe as he drives the car across the Hakskeen Pan South Africa at record breaking speeds.
The Bloodhound Project team consists of some of the world’s most revered engineering talent, driven by Andy Green and led by Richard Noble, who both set the current record (763 mph) in 1997 with Thrust SSC, the first through the sound barrier on land. The Bloodhound Supersonic Car, when travelling at 1,000 miles per hour, will cover four and a half football pitches in 1 second, a mile in 3.6 seconds and its own car length in less than 3 hundredths of a second.
As an international educational initiative, Bloodhound has a dedicated education team who have built up a wide range of free curriculum resources and teaching activities for schools and colleges. To date, over 5,300 UK primary and secondary schools have registered with the Project’s education programme, equating to over 2 million children.
‘We’re delighted to be involved in such an exciting UK engineering initiative and to help inspire the engineers and scientists of the future,’ says Mike Beadman, Director, Cambridge Design Partnership. ‘We were keen to get on board and support Bloodhound, as we knew CDP could offer specialist design and engineering skills that could play a part in the project. We look forward to being part of the Bloodhound adventure as exciting milestones are reached, and we progress closer to the actual land speed record attempt’.
Dan Johns, who leads the steering wheel project and an expert in Additive Manufacturing Engineering, says “Bloodhound also inspires Industry by using breakthrough technologies and pushes new design philosophy. To exploit the design freedom that 3D Printing offers, we needed to move away from a classic functional driven design. The Steering Wheel is the perfect space to explore shape optimisation as its where man and machine become one. It has to fit Andy like a tailored Savile Row suit”.
About Cambridge Design Partnership
Cambridge Design Partnership is a consulting company that develops ‘first of a kind’ products in the medical, consumer and cleantech sectors. We combine leading engineering talent with business acumen and a deep understanding of the technical and human needs that drive innovation.
Cambridge Design Partnership’s multi-disciplined experts and proven process will benefit any multinational or ambitious company aiming to maximise their return on investment in innovation.
Working as an integrated team, the company creates new products with a dynamic, flexible approach that leads to enduring client relationships, anchored by high quality work and excellent customer service. Our diverse team of engineers, scientists and designers has grown rapidly to establish a world leading reputation for technical excellence, astute project management and, above all, thinking differently.
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Contact Laura Cavaliere at CDP for more information at [email protected] / +44 (0) 1223 264428
BLOODHOUND contact:
Jules Tipler: [email protected] / +44 (0) 7811 166 796