US Land Steam Record!!

Hi,,,[uptown ] Limerick,,cor of rt 5 and11,,, tel 793-2800 ,, 5 steamers here,call soon,,Ben

Hey Ben,

Thanks for the info! I'll be out and about for the next few weeks, but I'll give you a call when I find some time.

All the Best,
- Parker

Hi everyone---Happy New Year!!

We have a bit of progress to report....The construction of the frame of the Streamliner is well along-today we rolled it out of the shop to see how she looked out in the Florida sunshine!! There are a few odds and ends that need to be cleaned up...but basically the frame is done-we have a rolling chassis!

Next week I taking it over to Harry's shop and we're gonna get started on the construction of the body. Harry is assembling the engine and getting ready to test it--so we're right on schedule to be running/testing on a track in early summer.

Thanks-everyone-for your support....we're getting closer to a new Land Steam Record every day!!


Cheers--Chuk

Hey-

More news regarding the Streamliner.....Last week I took it over to Cyclone Power Tech in Pompano Beach, and all the engineers and techs got a first look at the chassis. Measurements were taken-lots of photos too-so hopefully the fitting of the power plant and the body will go smoothly. After 2 days, we came back to my shop and got to work on some of the remaining things that need to be done. A redesign/rebuild of the tailfin was done to facilitate the fitting of the body around it, and I've gotten started on building the dolly that we'll need to use to maneuver the vehicle around the pits. The steering is limited to 5 degrees in either direction, and we're not using a clutch-so the dolly will be used to raise the rear end a few inches off the ground for turning and towing.

The New York Times picked up on the story and put out an article in their Auto section a few days ago--check it out at: [wheels.blogs.nytimes.com]

We have a long way to go and a lot of work left to be done--but we're getting closer to bringing the Record home to the USA!!

Cheers---Chuk

Hi Guys
We are very pleased with the job Chuk has done on the chassis. We spent enough time to run some draw bar pull tests to confirm the rolling resistance and to check out the final body design with Chuk. From this information we desided to put in the stock auto engine to beat the existing record. We feel there is more credibaly to beat the record with a standard 100hp Cyclone engine as you will have in your own car. At a later time we will boost this. In the picture is Chuk's actual engine with the gear box. It is belt drive to the wheels as it allows for suspension movement.
Lets get behing Chuk send him some money as he is doing a great ,job be a part of history. We all have our own projects but this is really happening join the team!! Have some fun!!!
Harry

The LSR project has hit Gizmag -

[www.gizmag.com]

Some pix with the biiiiig Cyclone hood in place.

Go guys!

Aero Tec Laboratories Sponsors Cyclone-Williams'
Steam Vehicle World Record Attempt

There is a new news post up at Cyclone power about the sponsor, Aero Tec, a maker of fuel cells. (right column) Cyclone Power

On a personal note, I would ask that if you have a few extra dollars, please consider contributing to the attempt, U.S. Land Steam Record Team even small amounts help.

Scott



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2011 07:03PM by Scott Finegan.

Hey-Thanks-Scott!

A bit of an update: We're working on the body for the LSR Streamliner-see attached pix. It may look like an upside-down canoe, but that's the bottom of the body/fiberglass sandwich you're seeing!

We're on schedule to be seeing a finished body in a few weeks...but still have a long way to go before we're competitive. We still have a few big-ticket items remaining to be purchased + the $$s it's going to take to haul everything across country to the Salt Flats.

So--if you can spare a few bucks to throw into the kitty for the Steam Record Attempt--it'll be greatly appreciated!!


Cheers--Chuk

Talked to Harry today and he said the body he is making for the LSR car is coming along quickly in Pompano Beach, he has two guys working on it Hopefully it will be a good fit to the chassis that Chuk is still working on, everything appears to be making progress including the Mark 5 engine. Looking forward to the dyno test information in the future.
George

Hi Guys,
The bottom of the body for Chuks LSR car is built today and ready for fiberglass. This is at the Cyclone plant , Chuks engine is under going tests in the back ground ar the back door. the upper half frame is built and will start planking on it this week. Things apear to be on schedule and we are gaining on it. It still takes some money to get the car compleated and on the road to Bonniville. Get on the team behind Chuk and bring the record home to the good old USA and it is nice to have one of our own club members do it.
Harry

Hey-

The Streamliner body is coming along-check out the photos!! We're moving quickly forward, but still have a long way to go before Bonneville in August. The lower half of the body is pretty much done-except fairing and paint..and the upper half is lofted and awaiting planking. Harry and his fiberglass guys are doing a helluva job!!

We'd love to have you join us-we're TEAM STEAM USA-and we welcome all support!!

Cheers--Chuk

STREAMLINER ON THE HALF SHELL!!

That's what it looked like this week...we're fitting the body to the frame of the LSR Streamliner. I took the frame over to Cyclone on Tuesday, we had a few interruptions.....the local Congressman-Alan West-stopped by to see the latest developments...and later on the local NBC station guys dropped in to a "Cyclone Update" for the 6 O'Clock News. Even so, we managed to get the bottom half of the body fitted to the frame!

I'm back home now-moving on with finishing up the body mounts and various other details that need to be completed on the frame. The parachutes and their release mechanisms are installed and finished...the fire extinguishers are mounted-but not plumbed..they're waiting on the dash to get completed....and so it goes!

We're looking good-Harry has a good crew at Cyclone, and they're moving along on getting the engine ready for the Salt Flats. I'm working on getting all the details done that need to be done in my shop--and it's all coming together!!


Chuk

Chuk;

Im not sure how your doing with aero-dynamics, BUT,,, if you need some custom cast lead ingots, let me know, I have 8, 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights, at this time. Let me know your disired specs, and well come up with something... Judging by what I see, your "lift coefficient" may call for a few more pounds, with your body design... Your definitely in there' but at 150mph things can get "spooky"...


Jeremy

Jeremy-

Thanks for the offer--but our aerodynamics generate a bit of downforce-not lift!! We're keeping the Streamliner as light as practical,since we're working with relatively low HP-we only have 2 miles to get up to speed before the timing lights. Most Streamliners have several hundred horsepower to work with, therefore they're not too concerned with weight. We're going to be using the stock MK5 Cyclone Engine this year which generates approx 100 HP, so we'll go relatively easy on the Brits and beat their record by only 20-30 mph-if(big IF!)everything goes right!!


Chuk

TEAM STEAM USA

Chuk,

Quote

our aerodynamics generate a bit of downforce-not lift!!

I know Harry is pretty knowledgable when it comes to fluid dynamics. Between the both of you, I think you have all the bases covered.

Sounds Good

Jeremy

Chuk. I'm curious how you determined that the car will develop a small amount of downforce?

HeavySteamer-

We spent a lot of time working on the design of the Streamliner frame and body to ensure that there were no areas that generate lift. We did that by making sure that there are no curved areas on the upper side of the body with a curve great enough to generate lift at our target speed. In addition, we designed the front end of the vehicle so that there is a partial vacuum formed under the body as it moves thru the air.

Of course, the basic idea is to build a body that moves thru the air without disturbance...and that's tough to do! The only real way to determine how it's going to go in the real world is to drive it at speed and see how it feels. Or, if we had the big $$s, we could buy some wind tunnel time and get the numbers...but I rather prefer the seat-of-the-pants test!


Cheers--Chuk

TEAM STEAM USA

Chuk,

I know that you value input from those on the forum.. When I mentioned ballast weight up front I was speaking about 150 to 200lbs. Just something that would make it impossible for somebody to grab ahold of the frontend of the streamliner and lift it. Vacuum is over-rated. Its basically the same type redundancy as a "dead-mans switch..." I would still be concerned if two people could lift the front-end, with you in the seat.

Go! Team Steam....

Jeremy

and oh ya, heavy steamer is Terry Williams


-edit spelling corrections-

-edit 3- I dont think the extra weight up front wound hurt because you would be like a train rolling on its track, this may increase inertia but that would enhance the standard 60/40 in the front brakes, if the vehicle is to light it will affect braking performance, I would even use a "metering valve" to divide braking forces between the front and the rear, but you should have wheel sensors that prevent lock up of the tyres.-



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2011 05:26PM by Jeremy Holmes.

Jeremy-

The front end of the Streamliner is going to weigh around 750-800lbs, so we have plenty of weight up front. But I'll keep your offer in mind...if we need a bit of ballast-I'll be knocking on your door!!


Thanks--Chuk

Well you could also use steel, which may be better, if you wanted to keep things lighter. It sounds as though you can pass the two man lift test...


Jeremy

Chuk
your welcome to knock on my door anytime, but I will be moving to Tenn in late june.

-edit- spelling correction-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2011 05:33PM by Jeremy Holmes.

Chuk,

Also something to keep in mind. The Braking System for the Streamliner, Im not sure if you have Disc's upfront and Drums in the rear, Although wheel speed sensors are "ideal" to prevent "wheel lock up at speed". You may not need them with a properly tuned brake system. (manual power, power booster etc)

I am a "Certified ASE Master Automobile tech" (yes its current, im willing to sigh off on it) if you need any help fabricating your brake system, let me know, we could probably put together a nice kit from Summit Racing... I even work on SRS systems (airbags) make it that much easyier to pass safety at the flats.. (every little bit helps) you must use double flare connections on all brake system fittings, master cylinder to caliper and good flexable hoses are available that meet spec.. (I know this is basic information)

Neat stuff, I agree with your design strategy Chuk, and thanks for the clarifications, any feedback regarding the brakes would be welcomed..


JW

-edit- sorry about that "JW" is my handle on the www.fieldlines.com forum (im an admin there), sometimes I forget about that, sorry

Best

Jeremy-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2011 08:01PM by Jeremy Holmes.

Lets assume that you have the brakes thing tuned to how you would like.

Chuk, your going to need some "in car telemetry" I would recommend using a GPS unit, to track your speed in mph, and of coarse a tach from the engine your running... If theres 2 gears there then your also going to need a clutch pedal.


Jeremy

Jeremy, how would one handle a demountable driver compartment by exposive means in catastrophic conditions? Hell with the airbag, get out. -keith

Jeremy-

The brakes are on the car and hooked up. We're using Wilwood-they're big ones and they're only on the rear wheels-so there are no bias problems. We won't be using the brakes until the parachute gets the speed down to less than 100 mph...so we'll be fine in the braking department.

For real-time speed, I have a 300mph airspeed indicator on the dash...and we'll have a data recording device on board so we can review performance after a run....

A lot of thinking, designing, and work have gone into the Streamliner, so we're gonna do well---WHEN we get to the Flats!!


Chuk

TEAM STEAM USA

Hi Chuk..

I was wondering if you guys might be able to use a CVT(continuous variable transmission) type setup like the ones used in snowmobiles maybe for a future run.. The gearing goes from about one to one initially, up to about three or four to one, as you reach peak engine rpms. Racing snowmobiles are putting out 150 HP these days so a CVT should be able to deal with the Mark V power easily.

Take care! Ernie

Ernie-

I've looked for those type (CVT) transmissions in the past, but couldn't find one that would deal with the torque of a steam engine. We don't need one for the Streamliner, but I'd be interested in finding one for my Dragster. If you have any contacts relating to those--please let me know.

Regarding the Streamliner;

The mounts for the lower half of the body are installed on the frame, and I've moved on to fitting the dash. It's hinged, and moves up out of the way- which makes access to the cockpit much easier. I talked to Harry yesterday: the top half of the body is progressing, and the engine is being assembled...so we're getting closer to having this thing running!!


Chuk

TEAM STEAM USA

Thanks Chuk!
I would just contact one of the big snowmobile manufacturers, like Polaris or Arctic Cat. See if you could get hooked up with their racing divisions to see if it would work or not.. It should work.. When they hit the throttle on the new racing machines, they are throwing 150 HP into the CVT instantiously, although blacktop is a little tackier than snow. At Brainerd International Raceway last year on ESPN they showed a snowmobile with wheels that was clocked at around 160 mph in the eigth mile on blactop.
In the old days the CVT's weren't very technical. Just 2 spring loaded centrifical clutches connected with a heavy duty serpentine V belt. When you hit the throttle the gearing was low enough to spin a 4' cleated track on mud. When the pulleys/clutches gradually reversed rolls because of the centrifuge force and clutch weights, it allowed the engine rpms to remain in the high rpm power range from low end speeds to wide open while sending maximum HP to the track for super accelleration. One of my friends ran 110 mph on an eigth mile snow covered drag track in '72 in northern Wisconsin. It was the closest thing to a snow cannon I ever saw. lol!
The reason I brought it up was because I was a little concerned that the gearbox, or ring and pinion might not hold up to the starting torque to get the LSR car moving initially in that sand. I would hate to hate to see a couple of weak gear teeth keeping us from the record. Those racing tires are pretty high in stature aren't they? I thought someone said 20' wheels.. If you have a clutch it shouldn't matter.. You can slip it a little to get started.
Hold on to your hat if you find the right CVT setup for your dragster. Guaranteed it will fly! Keep up the great work! Can't wait until August!
Take care... Ernie

Hey Chuk,

Does your dragster engine have a lack of low end torque or is it a matter of the engine driving the pumps fast enough to get the boiler cranking out steam?

According to Ben's conversation with Fred, the Rocket got light on the tiller(steering, no wheel) when the engine was opened up and that was with a gearing giving just over 350 revs per mile.

One thing I am curious about is how high of an rpm you plan to run the Cyclone during the runs. As I am sure you are well aware, there is a significant slipage factor for the salt. . . which changes with each year. From the graph on your racer website it appears to show the max rpms as 3,500, maybe I am just misreading it.

To me the whole allure to steam is the massive quantity of torque at low speeds and the very flat horsepower curve on the upper end, if it is all sized right and the pumps are porportioned properly or driven seperatly then I don't see the need for any variable gearing at all. That is if the engine can run at a long cutoff, the ones with only a short cutoff(such as bump valves) run more like an IC engine and require a clutch and multiple gears.

Anyways, forgive the rant.

Good luck at owning the steam land speed record!

Caleb Ramsby

Ernie-

Thanks for the tip regarding the CVT--I'll get around to it after we have a Record in our pocket!

Regarding your concerns about the gearbox--no worries there!! The gearbox consists of a set of bevel gears, to feed power to a set of PolyChain belts-which go to the solid rear axle. Everything is sized so that there'll be no problems with power transmission....

Land Speed tires use 15 inch rims-similar to normal auto rims-just a bit stronger.

Caleb-

The Dragster has a clutch-but no transmission-just a fixed ratio going into the rear axle....so when I come off the line the engine bogs down for a coupla car lengths. The solution, of course, is simply a 2 or 3 speed transmission...which I've never gotten around to dealing with. A CVT would solve a lot of problems pretty easily.

The Streamliner-with the Cyclone engine-is a completely different situation. It has no clutch-just a gearbox to feed power to the belts/rearaxle. On the Salt, we'll have 2 miles to get up to speed-and the Cyclone Radial engine has 800 ft/lbs of torque on tap to get us up to speed quickly. I won't be "flooring it" at the start-because of wheelspin...I'll be feeding in power gradually as the speed comes up. We have variable cutoff available, so it's a matter of working out the best cutoff to use thru the course of a run.

After having the intellectual exercise of designing and the fun of building the Streamliner, the real icing-on-the-cake is going to be getting it out where I can run it and get it up to SPEED!


Chuk

TEAM STEAM USA!

Hi Chuk...
If you go to Michigan again this year for the SACA event, it shouldn't be too hard to find some good used equipment from sleds with blown engines. There's a half dozen snowmobile shops in every county, in that neck of the woods.
One more quick question.. Do they paint any kind of sight/aiming line on the hood of the land speed cars, to help the pilot make them go really straight? I seem to remember some sort of black line in the sand on the track from watching TV for the event. I can't make up my mind whether it would be a distraction or an advantage.. With my old eyes I would probably get the stripe on crooked! LOL!
Thanks for answering all our questions Chuk! I would love to see a picture of the gearing/chain setup when available, as it doesn't look like I'll have the finances to make it to the flatts to watch you take back the record.. I'm going to try to send a couple bucks to the team for gas money next month..

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