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Enjoying the recent mailings on RWS, closest I got to an involvement was
hearing about Richard Brown's rear wheel steer [thrust powered] motorcycle
- just two wheels - mock up trials that did not work.
In the books and articles on Thrust SSC it is clear that the vehicle design
of two engines and a slim cockpit and central chassis dictated the use of
RWS. The wheels would have increased frontal area too much if they had
steered alongside the air ducts to the RR Spey engines. So Glynne built
the Mini to show Richard it worked ......... then they chose Andy Green to
drive SSC!
Using the human computer, Andy learnt how to drive this machine and correct
the direction of travel when it used to leap to one side on each run. He
fed in and held 'opposite' lock - in fact a steering input that he did not
remove, to keep the vehicle running straight ahead some many feet off the
original path.
If you get to England the ride simulator in the Museum of Road Transport,
Coventry lets you ride with Andy on his penultimate supersonic lap of the
Black Rock watching his hands at work.
I hope Glynne can be brought into this discussion by Louise for his
engineering input - may keep .
As to 'normal' cars that the SCTA/BNI etc allow in streamliner, I join with
Keith and Rich = why do RWS?
Malcolm Pittwood, Derby, England.
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