I always new Formula Ones were fast (obviously) but 600 meters in 9.4 seconds is amazing. A quarter mile is 402 meters so an F1 would probably give a Pro-Stock dragster a good run in a straight line. Throw in some corners and a couple hundred miles and it would be no contest for the F1. Jet fighter beats Schumacher By ANDREW DAMPF - Associated Press GROSSETO, Italy (AP) -- In a race between a Ferrari and a fighter jet, score one out of three for Formula One champion driver Michael Schumacher. Schumacher's Ferrari F2003-GA was a nose faster than pilot Maurizio Cheli's Eurofighter Typhoon in the first race of 600 meters. The plane then easily won at 1,200 and 900 meters in the drag race at a military airport. "It was an interesting experience," Schumacher said, adding there was a lot less pressure than facing Formula One rival Juan Pablo Montoya. Cheli did not gloat over winning the last two races. "Everyone is a prince or king in their own environment," the pilot said. Tuscany's Baccarini airport featured vintage cars and planes and a military band to entertain thousands of spectators. Six fighter jets flew in close formation and the event was shown live on Italian state TV. Cheli's jet and the Ferrari lined up on parallel runways and went full throttle when the green signal came, mixing the deep sound of a jet turbine with a high-pitched Formula One engine. After covering the required distance, the jet went airborne and then landed following each race. Schumacher won the first race in 9.4 seconds, with the jet 0.2 seconds behind. The jet won at 1,200 meters in 14.2 seconds, with the Ferrari 2.5 seconds back. In the final race of 900 meters, the jet finished in 13.0 seconds, with the Ferrari 0.2 seconds behind. The Eurofighter's top speed when airborne is listed at 1,521 mph; the Ferrari's limit is 229 mph. Thursday's event was organized by the Italian defense department and hailed as a demonstration of Italian industry.
The Eurofighter is a fine aircraft, but it has been victimized by politics so badly that it is a decade behind schedule! I think it was a pretty cool event, but those F1 cars are gawdawful ridiculous. Carbon fiber everything with a damned 2,000 hp V-10 motor that revs up to 14,000 RPM. Jeez!!!!!!!
I saw a snipit of this on SC the other night. I saw the times but I didn't know they were starting from a dead stop. That is impresive.
There are "production" cars that can do it in the 7's. I think there's a model of the Pagoni Zonda that does it. I believe the McLaren F1's could do it as well. And this was on street tires from what I recall!
A few interesting speed and time records in the quarter mile, both Top fuel dragsters and Funny cars are faster than a F-18 fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier catapult. I can't believe how fast these things are now 300 + in a 1/4 mile. Top Fuel Elapsed Time record is now 4.441 seconds set 10/4/03 by Tony Schumacher and the Speed Record is held by Doug Kalitta at 333 MPH set 9/28/03. Funny Car ET is 4.721 set by John Force on 6/1/03 and the Speed Record is 329.18 MPH set by Gary Scelzi on 9/28/03. Pro Stock with Greg Anderson holding the records for both ET at 6.670 and 207.18 MPH on 5/18/03. The Pro Stock Bikes with an ET of 7.049 held by Angelle Savoie on 5/19/02 and Matt Hines holds the Speed record at 194.10 MPH on 5/20/01.
I think it was TLC or Discovery that showed a modified big-rig tractor doing something like 200 or 300 mph. It had a jet engine as its source of power from what I remember. I'm trying to figure out what it must feel like to pilot a semi (sans trailer) that does over 200 mph. On second thought, no, maybe I'm not going to try and figure that out...
Can you imagine the G-forces generated by such a rig? It'll feel like Warren Sapp took a seat on your lap. Your stomach would be in your feet and you'd look like Chevy Chase and Dan Akroyd after their ride in the centrifuge.
For the gear heads here at the BBS - from some random page this stuff is crazy, the explosion the piston creates in the combustion chamber must be like a small bomb.
Those were some interesting facts. It's hard to believe how much h.p. they squeeze out of these motors. Good find, KingCheetah.
