Fastest school run in the world: U.S. bus turned into 367mph jet-powered dragster (Video)

Mail (UK) ^ | 6th August 2010 | By Mail Foreign Service

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

An American school bus has been transformed into a 367mph flame-throwing dragster.

Its creator Paul Stender replaced the ordinary school bus engine with one from a powerful Phantom fighter jet.

The flame-painted bus was custom built by Stender and his team at Indy Boys Inc in Indianapolis, USA, but it won't be getting students to school in record time as it's only for show.

Hot wheels: Powered by a Phantom fighter jet engine this custom-made school bus can reach 367mph

Stender's creation, dubbed 'The School Time Jet-Powered School Bus' fires out 80 foot flames from the back creating massive clouds of smoke.

Stender, 43, said: 'I built the bus for two reasons. The first is to entertain people because, come on, it's a jet bus.

'The second, is to keep kids off drugs. Jets are hot, drugs are not.

'The entire vehicle was custom built by myself. There's no way the original bus could have withstood the speeds that I take it to.

'We do a lot of displays at schools and we are trying to show them there's more to life than sitting in front of computers.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Video at link.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

That’s the world’s fastest school bus.

Here is a link to the world’s fastest school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4

[darkwing104]

A J-79 Powered bus...Sweet

[cruise_missile]

Now Obama can throw people behind the bus.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

NASCAR ?

I have no idea where the 367 mph came from.

I know some folks that have run Honda Civics over 200 mph at El Mirage.

Guess they just need a small jet engine to go faster.

[snuffy smiff]

Yeah, but how many G’s can it pull on a skidpad?

[baltoga]

This bus will certainly ward off any tailgate drivers.

[Redbob]

"I built the bus for two reasons. The first is to entertain people because, come on, it's a jet bus. 'The second, is to keep kids off drugs."

To keep kids off drugs?
How does that work???

People will come up with ridiculous reasons to do ridiculous things.

[EyeGuy]

Someone, who knows a lot about these things, should post the insane statistics (electrical/horsepower/acceleration, etc) that are involved with even a normal dragster.

Truly astounding, for us among the uninitiated.

[Soothesayer]

I know really. The kids who shoot drugs all day would never have the intelligence or skills to build rocket cars.

[JimRed]

To keep kids off drugs?
How does that work???

To get the anti-drug message out, first you've got to get their attention. A jet-powered bus will do that.

[Kirkwood]

Johnny! If you don’t hurry you’re going to miss the bus!

[bigbob]

Screw the foo-foo Brit commentors, this is pretty darn cool!

[Loud Mime]

* One dragster’s 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona.

* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.

* The supercharger takes more power to drive than a stock hemi makes.

* Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.

* Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

* At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitromethane 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.

* 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 off its fuel flow.

* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.

* Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the pistons.

* To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G’s. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G’s.

* If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.

* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.

Did you know …

… that the nitromethane-powered engines of NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars produce approximately 7,000 horsepower, about 37 times that of the average street car?

… that one cylinder of the eight cylinders of a Top Fuel dragster or a Funny Car produces 750 horsepower, equaling the entire horsepower output of a NASCAR engine?

… that the gasoline-powered engines of NHRA Pro Stock cars produce about 1,200 horsepower, about eight times that of the average street car?

… that an NHRA Top Fuel dragster accelerates from 0 to 100 mph in less than .8-second, almost 11 seconds quicker than it takes a production Porsche 911 Turbo to reach the same speed?

… that an NHRA Top Fuel dragster leaves the starting line with a force nearly five times that of gravity, the same force of the space shuttle when it leaves the launching pad at Cape Canaveral?

… that an NHRA Funny Car is slowed by a reverse force more than seven times that of gravity when both parachutes deploy simultaneously?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars consume between four and five gallons of fuel during a quarter-mile run, which is equivalent to between 16 and 20 gallons per mile?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars use between 10 and 12 gallons of fuel for a complete pass, including the burnout, backup to the starting line, and quarter-mile run?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars travel the length of more than four football fields in less than five seconds?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters can exceed 280 mph in just 660 feet?

… that from a standing start, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters accelerate faster than a jumbo jet, a fighter jet, and a Formula One race car?

… that a fuel pump for an NHRA Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car delivers 65 gallons of fuel per minute, equivalent to eight bathroom showers running at the same time?

… that the fuel-line pressure for NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars is between 400 and 500 pounds, about 20 times greater than the pressure on passenger-car fuel pumps?

… that depending on size and angle, the large rear wing on an NHRA Top Fuel dragster develops between 4,000 and 8,000 pounds of downforce?

… that the 17-inch rear tires used on NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars wear out after four to six runs, or about two miles? Some brands of passenger-car tires are guaranteed for 80,000 miles.

… that it takes just 15/100ths of a second for all 7,000 horsepower of an NHRA Top Fuel dragster engine to reach the rear wheels?

… that it’s desirable for an NHRA Top Fuel dragster to race with its front wheels inches off the ground for about the first 200 feet of the run? This ensures proper weight transfer to the rear wheels, a crucial part of a good launch and quick run.

… that the nitromethane used to power the engines of NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars costs about $30 per gallon?

Sources: NHRA Communications and Technical Departments, NHRA race teams, motorsports equipment manufacturers (and boostedpimp)

[Loud Mime]

at 300+ mph that windshield would be gone and the bus, without a front air dam, would be airborne.

[benewton]

I’d use a JATO unit and have done with it.

But then I’ve never thought that running straight quarter miles was worth anything.

Too, my first post divorce car was an RX-7, as was the second, and it could be beaten off the line by just about anything, right up until the first curve...

[snuffy smiff]

At that speed he’ll be able to throw ‘em under by handfulls at a time-we’re talkin’ full-auto now!

But seriously, how can that heavy brick ever attain that much speed in a full mile, much less a quarter of one? Maybe if running an engine from an SR-71 “Blackbird” perhaps but even then, that entire body must be made of carbon-whatever or kevlar or some such.
Add the wind resistance in that front end and the flat windscreen... got me really wondering...

...really need more info...

[smokingfrog]

Seems like it should have a spoiler or something. I’m surprised it can go that fast with those aerodynamics and not be totally out of control. It should probably have an ejection seat too.

[EyeGuy]

That’s the stuff.

Thanks!

Astounding.

[Logical me]

at 300+ mph that windshield would be gone and the bus, without a front air dam, would be airborne.

The pressure at the quoted 367 would totally destroy the front end of the bus into fragments of parts. Once airborne it would tumble and the rest of the bus would crumble bouncing off the ground and back in the air until even the body would bend into scrap. Tires, ha, gone. Miracle if even would get to 200.