T52E Land Speed Record trainer FF - Help Required to finish the build.

James Toseland's team are upping the ante and concentrating all efforts on the streamliner, The Toseland 52 Express. They are using a RR helecopter gas turbine driving the rear wheel to give massive low down torque and huge top end power to take them all the way to 400mph at Bonneville in Oct/Nov 2014. One of the team members has approached me to ask if there is anyone who would like to take over the completion of the trainer bike, so that they can spend their time solely on the 'liner.

The T52E team reported that they have an interesting situation at the moment in that timescales, finance and the build up of media attention is putting even more pressure on us – which is good and bad.

"We are now looking for help to complete and run the trainer bike so we can concentrate on the streamliner itself" said Robin Richardson T52E team member "We have no budget or time so ideally we are looking for somebody (or a small group) who could complete it and use it for joint promotional purposes. It’s mostly done needing only wiring, minor work to the front suspension, seat and harnesses (which we could supply via those doing them for the liner) and some simple partial body panels".

As far as I can gather the trainer has a steel chassis, An unidentified HCS FFE and is powered by a BMW K100 engine. It will have foot operated throttle and rudimetary outriggers. If anyone out there has the will, capability and the resources to help, please get in touch with Robin - serious enquiries only to robin-magnoliahouse@hotmail.co.uk For more pictures and information visit https://www.facebook.com/The52Express
Colin

T52E Land Speed Record trainer FF - Help Required to finish the build.

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Trainer, not a mule?

I've seen this before, but I assumed it was a development "mule" like Monoliner. Intended to sort out the dynamics and ergonomics of a vehicle 'beyond the edge of known space'.

But I guess there's enough info about Bonneville-style "Pencils" by now to allow some confidence about the various dynamic questions. The "BuB"crew that did 367mph a couple of years ago (scroll down this site's front page) must have a good idea of what 400mph with a driven wheel should be like.

Which leaves training the pilot to cope with the odd low-speed handling of such a long PTW. This isn't a worry for Monoliner, it's only the same length as a Quasar (34 minutes IoM, Open roads). but in any case I'd have thought it was a smaller problem than the major effort needed to get the trainer in the picture running.

It's really just a matter of adjusting to the different seat postion, steering with the steering, simple stuff like that. Once someone's adjusted to riding an FF they all feel pretty much the same. I "Got" control of Rob Rings 84" wheelbase rolling shassis, without brakes or power, after about ten metres of rolling it down a slight slope.

Which isn't to say that getting onto an FF for the first time, that also happens to be a hyper-expensive LSR project, wouldn't be a challenge. Especially to someone who's specialised in motorised bicycle racing.

So do it the easy, cheap way. Put your man into a Cmax/Banana/Voyager level, street-FF. It'll take him about twenty minutes to get the hang of it, then he can try something a bit more challenging like a Quasar, and finaly of course, Tudor's Slug. That should sort it. I'd hire him FJ if it was working!

All these FFs are about though and I think bribing some of their owners would be quicker, cheaper and more in line with the scale of the actual problem. After all, FFs are easier to ride than motorised bicycles.

This is a serious suggestion, no point in re-inventing wheels.

Pilot and Crew Trainer

The trainer bike has a dual purpose - It must be identical in size to the liner for the purpose of training the crew for the turnarounds at the end of the run and also refining the trailer/work hoist system they are constructing. I agree with Royce in terms of getting the rider some familiarisation training on something a bit more manageable in the first instance- They have currently declined my offer of doing some fam' miles on Voyager. If it was me doing the rider training plan, ECO/Monotracer experience would also be of great value to JT too.

They are confident that JT is "comfortable" and has some experience riding "semi-recumbent" but thanked me for my offer.

Quote "The trainer bike has been built to same dimensions as T52E and with same controls (ie foot pedal rather than twist grip) so that really is the way to go for us. Apart from JT, we want to use it to develop start and turnaround procedures for those directly involved in operating the liner and simulate their use via the trainer bike....... The liner will run at Bruntingthorpe in the UK but only at low speeds and we can run on either salt or dirt".

Colin

Uh Huh...

JT has some experience riding semi-recumbants has he? What, is that some sort of bicycle? Is that an FF or not? Do you think using a different, ambiguous, term is a studied insult or are these guys just ignorant?