SCC

Today, I have been mainly a journalist for Eureka Online Innovations Magazine…shh. As such, I gained exclusive access to MOD Thorney Island to witness a trial of the SSC [steam car challenge] aiming to set the land speed record for a steam powered CAR!!
The driver was Sir Malcolm Campbell's grandson - Donald Wales. He really WASN'T [or wasn’t] going to reveal what medical procedure he’d had recently. I interjected with rather journalistic [getting right into character I thought] tenacity when, in reply to requests from the Daily Mail man for him to smile more for the camera, he declared that he was dosed on pain killers. Not even the T/PR girl knew - but luckily the relatively green project manager forgot to pack the spare
thermocouples [bi-metallic temperature sensors]. As a consequence I awoke from my nap to miss the briefing [typical] informing the journalists that they had a wasted trip from London.
I, however, had not. I had to go into Emsworth anyway to deliver some books. I have also firmed up a vision for the future of [not steam turbines so much as] EXTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. Steam engines run on renewable fuel and burn it in the way that nature intended - at atmospheric pressure. [cars produce noxious gasses due to pressurised combustion] BUT steam engines are heavy [fuel and water] and inefficient. Use them statically and you have a different story. Motion in reciprocating engines [steam, petrol and diesel] is all about releasing gas pressure. In external combustion, the FUEL ITSELF is not pressurised . Store gas pressure - in a cylinder - air compressor ... Drive a car vastly lighter less expensive / complex / dangerous [no explosive fuel or explosions].. Bish basche bosche and that’s it and all about d'it. Compress the air using whatever you want - steam engine, solar electric, you name it. Currently of course - air is free ! Even pressurised air at filling stations. Hello. Air cars are coming soon from a formula 1 engineer. Search youtube for air car. http://www.mdi.lu/english/ I told the P.R. girl - she handed me the sandwich which I'd asked her to make.
The project manager admitted to me that developing a turbine powered car had little potential to knock-on to the street. It may raise awareness and improve funding projects that might, however.
Had some fun with the army - there was a sergeant-major type who had obviously been assigned to keep us inline. He latched on to me as a
trouble-maker in no time. Perhaps I stood out as I was actually taking an interest. I said, quite simply, that he was mistaken [when he said he thought that I may have got some MOD building in a photographic shot of the car]. He had not approached Sky or BBC who were shooting directly at the building. I teased him later telling him to stand easy and that he was almost my bitch as my taxes paid his wages.
I enjoyed working with the s.c.c. team - fixing the catering tent after it blew over an urn of steaming water onto the pregnant [thank god I was right - and she wasn't just fat] PR girl - not a good day for the steam team from Lymington.