Whether from cars and trucks or generators and factories, what would have been inhaled by millions or contaminated water and soil, can now be used for drawing and printing. Their angle in the air stream can either create an upward force or a downward force. One problem with land speed cars is that the shock waves building up at the nose can create an upward force that lifts the car off the ground. In 2014, following morale and testing/cheating scandals in the Air Force’s missile launch officer community, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James admitted that there remained a “systemic problem” in the USAF’s management of the nuclear mission. Of course, having a car that will travel faster than the speed of sound is just part of the problem. At such speeds (i.e., greater than the speed of sound), the car will produce shock waves that can affect the stability of the vehicle and produce a sonic boom. The team has two different models of the LM-1500; one produces a total of 42,500 horsepower for low speed testing, and a second one has ceramic coatings on the turbine blades and burn canisters, which will produce as much as 52,000 horsepower for high speed record runs.

To break the record set by the Thrust SSC team, the North American Eagle must be at least one percent faster — or roughly 770 mph (Mach 1.03). So far, the North American Eagle has reached a top speed of only 312 mph, recorded in March 2005, but that was on low-speed aircraft tires rated at 350 mph. Finally, with the car traveling less than 100 mph, a “Flintstone” break pad (currently in development) just off the cockpit, will hydraulically activate to drag along the ground at speeds below 100 mph. At 500 mph, the driver can activate the magnetic brakes on the rear wheels to scrub off kinetic energy built up in the massive 300 pound wheels, which tend to spin down slower than the car will decelerate. A much larger main chute follows the drogue at about 500 mph, creating even more drag. A drogue chute is more elongated and much thinner than a conventional parachute, which means it creates less drag and is less likely to get torn apart.

At about 650 mph, a drogue parachute is deployed to assist the speed brakes. If you’ve ever stuck your hand out the window of a car traveling 60 mph, then you have a feel for how canards work. With a special 283 sporting 10.5:1 compression, dual exhausts, special cam, and solid lifters, the car did 134 mph, and convinced Woron that even at that it wasn’t really extended. For high-speed runs (up to 800 mph), the standard aircraft wheels are removed and replaced with solid billet aluminum wheels with a titanium band on the outside running surface of the wheel for greater strength and stress retention, machined specifically for use on the Eagle. At a 2006 press conference, Fossett told reporters that he believes his modified Spirit of America can reach speeds of 800 mph. One of the biggest challenges the North American Eagle faces is overcoming issues related to traveling at supersonic speeds. Slowing a vehicle down from supersonic speeds requires a phased approach using multiple technologies. Then, over the course of several weeks, the team will prepare the vehicle and make a run for the record. In the meantime, one or two other teams are working on cars that might challenge the record.

The North American Eagle rides on five wheels — one in front to steer, two side-by-side on an offset mid-chassis axle and two in the rear. One such competitor is Steve Fossett; the record-setting millionaire who recently purchased Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America and is modifying the vehicle for an October 2007 record attempt. The great majority of sightings would be by individuals who would have been implicitly believed had they been testifying to anything less outrageous. And a radio enables the driver to communicate with ground crew members and other support personnel who help monitor the condition of the track and other variables that could affect the outcome of the race. In the case of the North American Eagle, the system will be controlled independently of the driver by a computer. In this concluding section, we will summarize the key strategies and tips discussed to help you reduce anxiety and improve your overall well-being.