Jaguar->ke39 is lending technical and vehicular support in an upcoming attempt to break the standing land speed record.->ke1948 Part of that support includes testing critical systems, such as the parachute, as seen in the above-featured video.->ke278

Making the actual record-setting run will be the rocket- and jet-powered 2014 Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC), which is currently under development by an English team that aims to smash the standing record of 763.035 mph with a target velocity of at least 1,000 mph.

The Bloodhound SSC reportedly produces 135,000 thp (thrust horsepower) thanks to a Rolls-Royce Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan and Nammo HTP hybrid rocket. It also has a V-8 from Jaguar Land Rover. Properly motivated, the car should be able to cover a mile in just 3.6 seconds.

To slow it down, the Bloodhound SSC->ke4876 uses multiple braking systems, including air brakes that create additional drag and disc brakes that are employed when the car reaches a relatively glacial 200 mph. It also has two backup parachutes.

Obviously, it’s best to make sure these things actually work before traveling at speeds over the four-digit mark, so Jaguar offered up a specially prepped F-Type R Coupe for test duties. As such, the Jag was extensively modified, by replacing the rear window and adding structural supports to attach parachute canisters directly to the chassis. A cockpit-mounted switch was used to fire the parachute at 180 mph, unleashing an instant drag force equivalent to one metric ton.

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Why it matters

The parachute test was performed at a former RAF military base in Bentwaters, Suffolk, U.K.  At the helm of the Jag was RAF Wing Commander and current land speed record-holder (talk about a title) Andy Green, who had this to say: "Bloodhound SSC is fitted with both airbrakes and parachutes to provide guaranteed stopping power under all conditions. Each of these systems is safety-critical and each needs to be tested to ensure it will work safely, every time it’s needed.”

Green will also pilot the Bloodhound SSC in the record-breaking attempt.

Everything went off without a hitch, as is evidenced by the video, thus offering a good deal of reassurance to Green and the Bloodhound team as they prepare for the record-setting run.

The new record attempt will be made in Hakskeen Pan, in the Mier area of the Northern Cape, South Africa, where a fresh track has been cleared. The track is 12 miles long and 2 miles wide.

Jaguar’s specially prepped F-Type R will be on hand as a rapid-response vehicle, should it be needed. The coupe’s->ke141 supercharged V-8 will also be used to prime the Bloodhound SSC’s rocket oxidizer pump prior to the run.

Last year, the Jag was used to perform another test for the Bloodhound team. The F-Type was driven at top speed toward an approaching, low-flying jet to help test communications equipment and generally be badass.

While lengthy, the extensive preparations are critical to hit the team’s target. Green will be asked to bring the Bloodhound SSC to a stop exactly in front of the Turnaround Team, which is tasked with prepping the car for its return run in the opposite direction, a requirement for qualification for the record. The turnaround must be completed in an hour or less. In 1997, the Thrust SSC team (of which Green was a part) missed a record by less than a minute because of a mistimed return run, but still managed to grab the current land speed record.

Jaguar F-Type R AWD Bloodhound SSC RRV

You can learn more info about the F-Type R AWD Bloodhound SSC RRV here.