* One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower
than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.
* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1½ gallons of nitromethane
per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with
25% less energy being produced.
* A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to drive the
dragster supercharger.
* With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive,
the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form before ignition.
Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full throttle.
* At the stoichiometric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitromethane the
flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
* Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the
stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric
water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
* Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of
an arc welder in each cylinder.
* Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2
way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
the affected cylinders and then explodes with sufficient force to blow
cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.
* In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at
an average of over 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph well before half-track,
the launch acceleration approaches 8G's .
* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence.
* Top Fuel Engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light!
* Including the burnout the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load.
* The red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.
* The Bottom Line; Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated US
$1,000.00 per second. The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record
is 4.441 seconds for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher). The top
speed record is 333.00 mph (533 km/h) as measured over the last 66' of the
run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).
Putting all of this into perspective:
You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter "twin-turbo" powered
Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you
hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him.
Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 mph
and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race course.
That, folks, is acceleration.
__________________
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
The dragsters are nice, but so are those land speed records. Something about breaking the speed barrier from the ground is quite impressive. Granted turbine/afterburners seem to be the choice, but hell we all like jets too don't we?
How long would it take an F16 theoretically to reach 300mph if it was on the ground, anyone know?
If any of you guy's have never been to a NHRA race I highly recommend you go. There is nothing in this world like a Top fuel funny car. I go to several races a year and it is still mind blowing watching those cars run.
Here is another fact I picked up last week. A competitive top fuel engine (including ignition) cost $62,000.00 each.
And most top fuel teams will carry 6 or 8 of these to each event.
__________________
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to
escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius
__________________
MTI 383 Stroker Motor. 475 rwhp 450 rwtq. Sold to Kens06.
2006 Toyota Tacoma NCM # 23186
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid...John Wayne.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Great post!
It helps explain why I love to attend/watch NHRA events.
If you haven't been you need to go at least once. Watching on TV just doesn't provide an accurate description of the sight, sound & smell.
__________________
Jim : C5R block with all the other stuff that comes with it ; currently @530 rwhp; 529 tq with 2 guys standing in the trunk.
Originally posted by Cave Man Here is another fact I picked up last week. A competitive top fuel engine (including ignition) cost $62,000.00 each.
And most top fuel teams will carry 6 or 8 of these to each event.
I would have thought that these engines were considerably more money. I know that prostock engines are ~ $50,000. I would have guessed they were 2 times as much (or more) at least. Awesome information! Attending one of these events is the greatest rush. I love experiencing the sound, smell, and loss of breath when they fly past!
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Granted turbine/afterburners seem to be the choice, but hell we all like jets too don't we?
Linear Mode
