CargoLogicAir (CLA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bloodhound Project to transport the World Land Speed Record attempt car to South Africa.
The new airline, a subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group will use its Boeing 747-8 Freighter it took delivery of on Friday 8 July to transport the Bloodhound SSC from the UK to South Africa, where it will attempt to break the record on the Hakskeenpan dried lake bed in the Northern Cape. The team will attempt to hit 800mph in 2017 with the aim of breaking the 1,000mph mark in 2018, driven by Andy Green.
The deal was signed by CLA chief executive officer, Dmitry Grishin and Bloodhound team project director, Richard Noble OBE at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Grishin says: “What better way to alert people to the fact that there is a new British all-cargo airline than to support such an exciting and entrepreneurial project as BLOODHOUND, which already has followers in over 220 countries.”
Noble broke the land speed record in 1983 driving at 633.4 mph, a record broken by Green in 1997 when he to the Thrust SSC to 763 mph, as part of a team led by Noble. Volga-Dnepr Group had helped the 1997 attempt by transporting the team and equipment to the US using an Antonov AN-124-100.
Noble says: “In September 2017 we’re taking BLOODHOUND SSC to South Africa and we’re delighted that CargoLogicAir are supporting the transportation. It means we can fly the Project direct from the UK to Upington in South Africa, just a short 120-mile drive to the desert.”
He also thanked Volga-Dnepr for its help in 1997, saying: “It’s true to say that without the use of the Antonov 124-100 in 1997, the 763mph World Land Speed Record could not have been achieved and we would have failed. We are delighted the relationship with our good friends, CargoLogicAir, will give us the opportunity to make history again.”
