What is a land-speed vehicle?

Land-speed vehicles vary from the type of power used to the weight of the vehicle to the design of the body. Land-speed vehicles can run on several types of fuel, solar power, electric power, or as a hybrid. Eagle Works envisions building a Class 2/E, 1100 lb. electric vehicle. The weight of electric land speed vehicles are broken down into three classes:

Class 1: under 1099 lbs. (less than 500 kg)

Class 2: 1,100-2,200 lbs. (500-1,000 kg)

Class 3: 2,201 lbs. and above (1,000 kg and above)

Eagle Works plans to build a Class 2 electric vehicle and plans to run under the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) regulations and set a class 2/E record at a speed of 230 MPH. The course will include a two miles to accelerate up to speed, three one-mile flying starts, and two miles to decelerate. The plan for the project is to have a completed vehicle in two years. The Eagle Works land speed vehicle will be completely designed and constructed by students, advised by a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Karl Heine, with the assistance of Jim Weber, the university's Engineering Lab Technician.

What is a Land-Speed Record?

A land-speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land over a course of one mile with an average calculated over two runs, commonly known as "passes". First a qualifying run must be made that exceeds the current land-speed record before a record run can be made. 

Different length courses are available to provide multiple opportunities to set a record.  A “short” course consists of a one-mile approach and timing traps for two miles after the approach. A “long” course includes a two-mile approach and three timing traps for three miles after the approach. 

After a successful qualifying run, the vehicle must immediately be put into an impound area; four hours are given to the ground crew to complete maintenance. The following day, the record run is done. The speeds set in each mile are then averaged between the qualifying and record runs and if a speed within one of the averaged miles surpasses the record, a new record has been set. 

Where are land-speed vehicles raced?

On the West Coast, Eagle Works has two main locations as options for land-speed vehicle races. The two options are the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah or the El Mirage Dry Lakes in Southern California. Eagle Works plans on running the vehicle at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The Driver

The vehicle will be crewed by students, but will only be driven by an experienced and licensed professional through the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) or a Bonneville approved driver. The driver will be vetted by the university and the sanctioning bodies involved.  Several candidates are under consideration for this position. 

Safety

The project was selected because it is technically challenging, pushes the state of the art in clean energy propulsion and optimized vehicle design, and is one of the safest forms of speed tests available.  The safety of the driver, vehicle, and designated course are strictly regulated by two sanctioning bodies. If the car does not meet the standard, it does not run. Runs are made as single cars and in the event of a problem, the vehicles and drivers are required to have multiple, redundant sets of safety gear and structures. The sanctioning bodies only run the cars approximately four times a year, a week at a time, and require the vehicle and driver to work up to speed in a methodical manner. 

The safety of our driver and team is an integral part of our process. In accordance with the rules and regulations set by the Southern California Timing Association, the vehicle is inspected and certified by professionals.  

Thanks to the combination of strict sanctioning, the lack of other vehicles and obstacles on the course, and the methodical attainment of speed, serious injuries due to these types of vehicle speed runs are nearly non-existent. . Accidents, when they do occur, usually result in an engineering redesign of the vehicle to improve stability but since there is nothing stationary to hit on the course, and the surface is relatively slick (salt or sand),  no injuries result. Since the vehicle carries no combustible fuel or oil, the risk of fire is very limited.