SOURCE: Air Force Reserve
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May 17, 2007 05:23 ET
How Do You Stop A 2,300-Pound Jet Car?
Win an Unusual Seat at the Air Force Reserve Jet Car Race!
LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - May 17, 2007) - Imagine driving along at 400 mph, knowing
that the margin for error was about 1.5 seconds. That is exactly how fast
Air Force Reserve Jet Car Driver Bill Braack is going when he makes the
decision to shutdown his engine and pop his parachute, ending the dramatic
ride.
You can see the Air Force Reserve Jet Car at 2007 Star Spangled Salute,
Tinker Air Force Base, OK, on June 9 and 10.
"The Jet Car accelerates from zero to 400 mph in about 8.5 seconds. That's
less time than it takes to dial home on a cell phone," said Bill Braack, a
20-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve. "That short ride gobbles up
2,000 feet of runway to accelerate and another 2,000 feet to stop."
Why not make the run longer? "Extending the ride even 1.5 seconds equals
more acceleration. If the Jet Car is traveling too fast, it starts to
become airborne, which makes it uncontrollable," said Braack.
The stop is assisted by a pilot parachute, which takes most of the force of
stopping as it deploys the main chute. Needless to say, these pilot chutes
seldom survive one use.
"The Air Force Reserve Jet Car is the fastest car in the Air Show
Industry," said Bill Braack. "We are just about at the limit. Still, Jet
Car inventor Scott Hammack is constantly thinking about and tinkering with
ways to improve the Air Force Reserve Jet Car's performance.
"People ask why I do this. Simply, It is one incredible rush. I've been
on the Jet Car Team for ten years; but, I'm only in my second year of
driving full-time, and there is nothing like the feeling of speed and
controlling such as awesome machine."
Now you can win a "Ride to the Runway." Anyone 18 or older is invited to
fill out a card at the Air Force Reserve Display before noon each
performance day. If present at the 12:15PM drawing, the winner will ride
to the runway with the Jet Car Team and be just feet away from the Jet Car
as it begins its dramatic race against a designated plane. The Jet Car
will start from a dead stop as the plane comes in low and fast, and the
instant the plane passes above the car, Braack will release the 10,000
horsepower and take off. Even given the plane's head start, Braack seldom
loses.
The Jet Car Team is proudly supported by the Air Force Reserve, a team of
more than 70,000 men and women, who serve to keep America safe.