Facts about The Spirit of America Car
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A mobile chase vehicle equipped with radar guns followed the Spirit of America across the salt flats to verify Breedlove's speed measurements and document the historic 1963 record attempt.
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Breedlove's jet-powered vehicle required a specially designed ejection seat mechanism capable of propelling him clear of the fuselage at speeds exceeding 500 mph if catastrophic failure occurred during acceleration.
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Bonneville Salt Flats' surface temperature during Spirit of America's runs reached approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring Breedlove to wear a specialized pressure suit with cooling systems to survive the cockpit heat.
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Breedlove's vehicle required a custom-built cockpit so cramped that he could only fit inside by removing the seat and sliding horizontally into the fuselage before it was bolted shut.
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Only 6 inches of ground clearance separated the Spirit of America's aluminum belly from the Bonneville Salt Flats during Breedlove's 1963 record run, requiring perfectly flat terrain to prevent catastrophic collision.
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Designers equipped the Spirit of America with a specially modified canopy that could be jettisoned in case of emergency, allowing Breedlove a critical escape route if the vehicle became unstable during high-speed runs.
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Spirit of America's fuel consumption during its record runs exceeded 15 gallons per mile, requiring specially engineered fuel tanks to carry enough liquid propellant for the brief high-speed acceleration bursts across the salt flats.
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The Spirit of America's narrow, single-seat cockpit required Breedlove to lie in a reclined position during acceleration, limiting his ability to see forward until reaching high speeds.
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Breedlove constructed the Spirit of America's fuselage from an aluminum alloy shell designed to withstand extreme aerodynamic pressure while maintaining visibility through a small plexiglass canopy for the driver.
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Three parachutes, each 12 feet in diameter, deployed from the rear of the Spirit of America to slow the vehicle from supersonic speeds during its record-breaking runs.
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Craig Breedlove piloted the Spirit of America across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during October 1963, a location chosen for its flat terrain and minimal friction surface.
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At 6 feet long and weighing just 2,260 pounds, the Spirit of America jet car was remarkably compact compared to traditional land speed record vehicles of its era.
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Powered by a General Electric J79 turbojet engine, the Spirit of America jet car produced 15,000 pounds of thrust, equivalent to the power of 25 piston-driven race cars combined.
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In 1963, Craig Breedlove drove the Spirit of America jet car to 526 miles per hour, becoming the first person to break the 500 mph land speed barrier.