Land Speed Racing
The Arfons brothers then split up, and each became interested in land speed record racing.
The most famous "Green Monster" was powered by an ex-F-104 Starfighter General Electric J79 jet engine, producing 17,500 lbf (78 kN) static thrust with four-stage afterburner, which Arfons purchased from a scrap dealer for $600 and rebuilt himself, over the objections of General Electric and the government, and despite all manuals for the engine being classified top secret.
The engine had been scrapped because of damage caused by ingesting a bolt. Art removed 60 blades out of approximately 1000 in the engine, removing broken blades and ones at 180 degrees, or the pair at +/-120 degrees to maintain balance. He tested it by tying it to trees in his garden, a procedure which drew complaints from his neighbors.
This car, painted in red and blue, won the land speed record three times during the close competition of 1964 and 1965 with averages of 434, 536 and 576 mph (698, 863, and 927 km/h) in the flying mile (despite blowing a tire on the last record run). It competed against Wingfoot Express (built by his brother Walt, who could not pilot the car himself, having suffered a stroke) and Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America - Sonic 1 four-wheeled jet car, which eventually set the record at 600.601 mph (966.574 km/h).
In 1966, Arfons returned once again to Bonneville, but reached an average speed of only 554.017 mph (891.604 km/h). On run number seven at 8:03 a.m. on November 17, Arfons crashed his vehicle travelling 610 mph (982 km/h) when a wheel bearing seized. He subsequently built another Green Monster land speed record car, but sold it to California rancher Slick Gardner without ever driving it.
Read more about this topic: Green Monster (car)
Famous quotes containing the words land, speed and/or racing:
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