New world land speed record

Alumnus Richard Jenkins has smashed the world land speed record for wind powered vehicles

Alumnus Richard Jenkins (Mechanical Engineering 2000) has smashed the world land speed record for wind powered vehicles in Greenbird, the wind powered vehicle described as “part aeroplane, part sailboat, part Formula One car”.

On 26 March 2009, Greenbird, driven by Richard, clocked 126.2 miles per hour on the 'dry' Lake Ivanpah, California. The record is based on the average speed over three seconds.

The previous record of 116.7 miles per hour was set by Bob Schumacher in the Iron Duck in March 1999.

Richard said: “This really has been a phenomenal wind month, the windiest anyone can remember, in well, ten years I guess!”

Since graduating from Imperial College, Richard has designed, built and tested four separate speed record craft on land, ice and water under the guise of the Windjet Project. For this world record attempt Richard joined forces with Ecotricity, and the project was renamed the Greenbird Project, a nod to the last British world record holder, Donald Campbell, and his vehicle, Bluebird.

Watch Richard smash the world land speed record for wind powered vehicles on You Tube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJLFQ-1nGz0.

To find out more about Greenbird, please visit www.greenbird.co.uk.