Hybrid aluminium rocket-car attempts to break the land speed record

In 2016, a team of engineers will attempt to smash the land speed record by reaching more than 1,000mph in their Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC).

The project has been seven years in the making and has been a dream of former RAF pilot Andy Green since he set the current record in 1997.

Now, it has moved a step closer to reality - with the hybrid rocket engine the car will use being fired for the first time.

The upper chassis is made of strong, but lightweight aluminium, onto which titanium stringers and titanium skin will be fixed using glue and 1,400 aircraft specification rivets.

The lower chassis, below the jet, is made of aluminium and steel, and houses the Nammo hybrid rocket. The pencil-shaped car will be 44ft (13.4m) long, 6ft (183cm) in diameter, and weigh 7.5 tonnes when completed.

The supersonic car will use one Nammo hybrid rocket in high speed testing scheduled for 2015 and a cluster of three rockets in its 1,000mph (1,609 km/h) campaign in 2016.

This is addition to main the main engine, which is normally found powering a Eurofighter Typhoon, weighs a tonne and produces 20,000lbs (90kN) - or nine tonnes of thrust.

The two power plants together produce 135,000 thrust horse power, or the equivalent to 180 Formula 1 cars. The test firing of the rocket was an unprecedented success, the team said.

The firing lasted for a predefined 16 seconds, producing a maximum thrust of 30 kN (or 3 tons).

The rocket will also be used to power spacecraft.

Chief engineer Mark Chapman said: 'For us at Bloodhound, it is immensely exciting, this is the motor that's going to take us to break the record.

'For us this is a really important test.