JOHN COBB’S NEW CAR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22400, 13 May 1938, Page 16

JOHN COBB’S NEW CAR

ATTEMPT ON SPEED RECORD A SUPER-STREAMLINED MACHINE From London! come details of the unorthodox super racing car which John Cobb, one of England’s leading racing drivers, has had built to try to better Captain G. Eyston’s (Thunder-bolt-Dunlop) world's land speed record of 311.42 m.p.h. with its streamlined body, j ooks a turtle Its aluminium body weighs fess than 5001b, and can be detached completely irom the chass /? three minutes. The superstructure has no tail and no breaks in its streamlining. apart from a smail windowed turret over the driver’s head. The machine which was designed by .? ei f Kailton. weighs only a little over thre tons, compared with the Thunder b °Two ’supercharged 125& h -Paero engines are installed, the rear engine driving the front wheels and the front engine the rear wheels. Th position of the driver is uniqueright forward of the front axle. N radiator is provided, a large water tank! containing about 70 Salons ot iced water, being used to keep the engines at the required temperature.

Fast Acceleration The track of the rear driving wheels which are normally sprung, is two feet less than the independently sprung front wheels, and while the wheelbase of the machine is only 13ft 6in, the over all length of the turtle-shaped body is 29ft. The power to weight ratio o the outfit is 1 h.p. to every Z.Blb, a ratio that should provide Cobb , wonderful acceleration. The making of the wheel and tyre equipment for Cobb’s car was entrusted to the DunloTh?se°wiei! be Cobb’s first effort to gain the motoring blue riband record, and the course will be the Bonnevill Salt Lake bed (Utah), the scene ot Eyston’s and Campbell’s successful attacks on the world’s land cord. Cobb is no stranger to the natural hard salt surfaced speedway at Bo* l / 16 ' ville, for He has already established several long distance worids records on the salt bed, records which were subsequently challenged and bettered by Ab. Jenkins, the United States speed ace and Eyston. Cobb s objective is 350 m.p.h. % *

STEAM COOLING POSSIBILITY OP USE IN CARS

A writer in an English motoring paper has brought up the Question of steam cooling, expressing wonder that no manufacturer has yet attempted to introduce it on motor-cars. Steam cooling, of course, is used on certain types of aeroplane, the big being a more efficient operating heat and a very much smajler radiator (or condenser, as it actually is in this case), a rather important thing in aviation, where head resistance has to be kept to the minimum. Another feature is' a complete absence of water l£> lri steam cooling, the engine has water jackets, and the radiator or condenser is much the same as in a watercooled unit, except that the water tank is at the foot, instead of at the top of the unit, and a simple safety valve replaces the usual overflow pipe. Finally there is a pump with a very small

output. , ~ Before an engine is started from cold its jackets are full of water, but the radiator or condenser is empty, although there is water in the bottom tank. With the engine running, a small quantity of water is passed from the tank to the jacket by pump. The water in the jacket, therefore, soon starts to boil. When this occurs, steam passes from the top of the engine to the condenser or radiator, where it is converted to water again, .and drains down to the tank at the bottom. Steam cooling’s various advantages are the water-tightness of the system very rapid warming up, more efficient operating temperature, and the use of a very small radiator or condenser which makes it appreciably cheaper although it needs fo be of rather better quality than many of those in use today. , It is stated that there is a good possibility of steam cooling being tried on cars shortly.

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