For all the revheads....and even those who aren't. Some quite amazing statistics.You don't have to be a drag racing fan to appreciate these statistics. Some Interesting Top Fuel Dragster Facts:-One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona.-Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 ½ gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747, but with 4 times the energy density.-The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.-With nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition.-Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.-Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.-At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitro methane measures 7050 degrees F.-Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the exhaust stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapour by the searing exhaust gases.-Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After ½ way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F.-The engine can only be shut down by cutting off its fuel flow.-If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.-Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the crank) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronisation with the pistons.-To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before ½ track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G's.-If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.-Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.-Top Fuel Engines ONLY turns 540 revolutions from light to light!-The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.-To give you an idea of this acceleration, the current TF dragster elapsed time record is 4.477 seconds for the quarter mile.-This means that you could be coming across the starting line in your average Lingenfelter powered "twin-turbo" Corvette at 200 mph (on a FLYING START) and the dragster would BEAT you to the finish line FROM A DEAD STOP in a Quarter mile distance!
they're mad machines >> I saw on ESPN last night that the Top Bikes run a 21:1 compression ratio. That's just insane.
And they make a noise you can feel...>> I wish Bob Jane would patch up his problems with ANDRA so we could get the top fuelers back in Melbourne.
Feel the noise - absolutely! >>> Memories.I used to be the WA photographer for the old Drag Racing News when I lived over there. Standing next to the armco on the startline when a fueler did its burnout and launched was awesome! MUCH better than being where the spectators are :YD. Didn't wear muffs or plugs either, had to get the full experience - vibrating eardrums, nitro fumes causing watery eyes and tyre smoke for the lung lining.And then there was the top end, went up once to take a few 'chute shots. Stood with feet at the edge of the bitumen, when they come towards you at 200mph+ (this was in the late '70's) it happens quick! 1 got a bit loose once, wouldn't wanted to have been standing any closer!!!!Yeah, I wish there was something happening with official sanctioned drags too. Must see if I can scan a few of my better older shots sometime.
WOW 200MPH flying start and you'd still get beat. I dunno. At 200MPH you're travelling at over 3 miles a minute and without increasing your speed over the quarter you're still going to run under 5 secs. Bloody amazing when you consider them. Anyone know what 'Vanishing Point' used to do a standing quarter in? now that's one crazy car. Egg PS my RC 4x4 bug runs on nitro ########## Found it: 3.583@386.26MPH in England, though he did do 396MPH at Bonneville on a timed quarter from a standing start. [image]http://www.trakbytes.com/sb0212.JPG[/image]
Not disputing .. .. that these things are awesome but this is typical drag racing hype..the last few lines don't add up... if the redline is 9500RPM and assuming the thing is at the redline for the entire 1/4 (which it isn't)and the record is 4.477 seconds(I think it is quicker now) then it would do 708 revs in the 1/4mi. Oh I could go on!!
yeah...... they are pretty wild.. when they tap the accelerator and your hair goes all tingly feeling like your tied to the worlds largest vibrator.pretty insane feeling.and i agree mikey, no ear plugs or anything! First time i went to the F1, the corner i was on, everyone against the fence had ear plugs, damn softies, my theory was 'even though it may be loud, i know if i use ear plugs for even 5mins, ill be kicking myself when i get home for it'.Gotta take it all in while u can!}D
Ok, Ok, check this one out > Fastest Railed Vehicle The highest speed attained by a railed vehicle is Mach 8, or 9,851 km/h (6,121 mph), by an unmanned rocket sled over the 15.2-km (9.4-mile) rail track at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA, on October 5, 1982. Propelled by rockets to supersonic speeds, rocket sleds are typically used to simulate the flight of rocket or jet-powered vehicles or missiles.Click HereI remember seeing a documentary on some of the earlier "manned" runs - and one guy accellerated so fast it detated the retnas from his eyes!Mach 8! Bloody hell!
your cals are incorrect you must also work out final drive ratio, its true that most TF cars only do 600 relovutions per runThey are amasing machines!!!
