Untitled Document

Entries are in ascending order. (For those of you in Rio Linda, start at the bottom.)

November 2004 - Being that the North American Eagle™ has been eight years in the making as of this date, I've decided it's time to begin a journal to record my personal reflections about the events which will take place from here on out with the project's progress. Something to contribute to the record - for our fans, visitors and those who may look back in years to come on this project's development with interest in how we got it done and what happened along the way. After all, there's truth to the saying, "Joy is found not in reaching the destination, but in the journey along the way."

I hate to sound like the doom & gloomer type, but it is very difficult to maintain a positive outlook on this project's potential for actually going for the record for several reasons when one looks the larger picture of all factors impacting it.

From just the project's view, we're making good progress with new sponsors and the recent new AP wire exposure a new press release garnered. Intentions, attitudes and hopes are that we'll go to a venue in Nevada next fall even if we have to do it out of our own pockets. How that'll happen is difficult to fathom given the currently developing bleek economic outlook which is the other factor affecting the project's potential for going for the record.

With the stock market so volitile and so many companies going bankrupt or being bailed out (nationalized) by the Federal Reserve Banks, it isn't a huge leap for anyone to understand that a sponsorship is about as likely as a any of the team members winning the lottery.

So, unless a miracle happens and someone learns about our project with a passion for simply wanting us to have an opportunity to attempt going for the record because they're land speed fanatics and have oodles of money laying around, I suspect this project will sadly die and be forgotten within the next year due to unfortunately poor timing and economic factors beyond our control. I honestly hope I'm wrong on this after investing over ten years into it, but at least it's been one hell of a fun journey in doing so. I can't complain about that.

Earlier this week the BloodhoundSSC project was launched and announced by the Science Minsiter of the U.K. - Lord Drayson. Richard Noble will once again be the Project Manager, with Andy Green at the wheel once more to try and achieve the goal of 1,000mph average.

While the car is merely a concept with illustrations on the web site done up with the latest software imaging, as well as a nice animation video of it running faster than a .357 Magnum bullet, rumor has it that funding is from sponsors they've already acquired and the help of the national science minister. It will be interesting to learn whether their military is supporting them, or not, but one thing is clear, they're using the project as a means to motivate and inspire their youth to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines in hopes of staying in the economic game internationally.

They have announced a timeline of going for the 800mph goal a year from now, the 900mph mark the following year, and the 1K goal by 2011. Whether or not they'll actually make those deadlines is one thing, but being the record holder, Noble has shown his marketing savy at siezing the circumstance and getting his country behind his effort.

TeamNAE™ wishes the entire BloodhoundSSC team the best of luck in their endeavor and hopes to possibly share the lake bed with them in the future. However, due to the conditions deteriorating at Black Rock Desert recently, it won't be there.

The remainder of the summer was spent pulling apart components on the car that needed work after the last test session. Ed, Keith, & Cam went to the annual Speedweek at Bonneville, and the team held its annual team BBQ at Gino's place at the end of August. With fall fast approaching, the team will now continue finishing up work being done in order to have it done by our November appearance in the Tacoma Dome.

With the signing of our contract with the Oakridge Labs in Tennessee recently, we'll now be able to move forward with our CFD work using their Crey computer. We're still working on getting wind tunnel tests done and hope that we'll be able to conduct another test session next spring.

With our latest test session concluded, I can happily report that we managed to hit 400 mph at El Mirage at the end of last month. Hopefully this milestone will lend more credibility to our project's efforts to attract a sponsor. However, our greatest hurdle is still having Mother Nature cooperate to provide sufficient rain to the Black Rock desert during the winter months to create a good surface and to compact the silt sufficiently so as to be able to perform good runs on plenty of distance. For the past several years, the weather pattern has not produced favorable results during the fall months; far too powdery, producing a high level of rolling resistance, and uneven surface to have a decent length and surface for a record course at this point.

Two weeks later after more work in the shop, we conducted a second engine test at the Spanaway Airport. This time, after switching out a couple of the voltage regulators we had on hand, we successfully maintained 220 volts of power at varying engine power settings. Finally we are now able to use the fuel boost pumps to allow the afterburner to work properly.

We are still negotiating with the brass at Edwards AFB to use Rogers Dry lake where the Shuttle back-up runway is located. We ran a test session there back in '05 with the help of Col. Simpson (deceased), and a lot more channels and hoops are having to be cleared, right on up the Pentagon! If that comes through, then we'll most likely be doing our next test session there. If it doesn't, we might go to El Mirage again, provided the condition of the lake bed is good. Our closer option is Black Rock desert where we were for last fall's test session, but conditions there may not be good to use it. We shall see.

If we can get into the 400 - 550 mph range on this next test session, we hope it will give the project the much needed viability that sponsors who are watching us need to know that we're capable of actually getting there. However, some hang ups in other research areas of the project are holding us back from getting some of the needed modifications done because they haven't been finished yet. These are the kinds of frustrations encountered with an all volunteer team; some just put their part on the back burner and don't understand the impact it creates for the rest of us. Oh, if we only had the needed funds to motivate them!

After hours of frustration at not getting the engine to reach idle (60%), we managed to figure out the problem, get it resolved, and get the engine to go into afterburner, even if it was briefly.

However, our electrical system still was not responding as hoped. After taking the car back to the hangar and unloading it, we pulled the tailcone off the engine, pulled the engine back enough to get to the generator and discovered the reason why we've not been getting anything to work on the electrical system; the generator gear shaft that went into the engine's transmission, was sheared off clean. Apparently a load that was put on it a while back was too much for the metal's capacity to handle it and "snap" it was gone.

So, now that we've replaced it, we will be conducting another engine run test next weekend to verify electrical systems function. If this works as expected, and we can maintain 110 volts, our afterburner will work properly and we'll be fully ready for our May test session.

With our metal wheels and a fully functioning AB, we'll be ready to push "the beast" well into the 400 to 550 mph range with good surface conditions.

Since the writing of my last newsletter, what I'd hoped and predicted would happen, did. The potentially troublesome litigation we were possibly facing got settled and we are able to move on without it getting in our way.

Tomorrow the team loads up "the beast" into the travel trailer for next weekend. We'll be conducting an engine test in north of Seattle the following weekend to check systems on the car's electrical and make sure the engine can go into afterburner.

Word is there's no tie-down, so it should be interesting to see how we can keep the car from skidding when Ed pushes the throttle up beyond about 80%.

April will be the month we make sure everything is ready and in order for the May test session in southern California. News has reached the team that an individual of significant noteriaty will be joining the project as a consultant. This will help add a great deal of credibility to it, and hopefully catch the attention of some sponsors, especially after we achieve speeds in the 400 - 500 mph range.

Warning! This edition of the journal will appear to be "kriptic" in its message. There is a reason for this which will become apparent over time. Suffice it to say that, for now, the mysteriousness will not only provide added intrigue, but insight into the future- allbeit "kriptic" - until the real story is disclosed. Just remember, hindsight is 20/20.

In a move to garner added support from an interested party to the project's goal over the next several months, we will be entertaining some dignitaries which, for now, shall remain anonymous. Should plans and agreements work out, the project will be adding some interesting and unique dimensions to its future testing profile.

The North American Eagle™ project is confident that, despite the potential for unexpected events to occur which might appear to set it back, we will come out as winners in the end. Those who underestimate us will be surprised. There are many issues which play into this equation. They will factor into the overall story which will be revealed when the time is appropriate.

Hang in there with us, folks. We apologize for the mysteriousness of our message at this time and request your patience, but the game is on, as the saying goes. We thank our 800 Club and Eagle's Lair members for their continued support and encouragement.

I had a suspicion that it might take this long and it's turned out my suspicions were correct. It's been 10 years since this project began; shortly after the British ThrustSSC slammed the record out of the ball park. Why has it taken so long? Well, I'll put it this way... how many projects do you know of that challenge such an ominously dangerous task and are NOT financed by either a millionaire, or a mega-corporation, like Texiron, that throws "pocket change" at it?

This project, from day one, has most likely been THE ONLY one at this level that has been developed by a couple of guys who could be considered "hot rodders" with a vision. How can I say that? I know, I've been there by their side for these past ten years (in fact, I met them two years prior on another project) while they scraped by on nickles and dimes putting this baby together in a "garage." I dare say, a project of this nature may well be THE last one to ever be pursued by a group like it, in light of the way things in the world of business are going these days. In other words, if any do happen in the future, they will be done with existing "state of the art" equipment, tools, and technology, with money not being an obsticle.

As I've predicted in the past, this project's momentum has been gathering speed; accelerating just like the car will once it goes for the record. Over the past year a major hurdle was negotiated successfully - the manufacturing of all metal wheels capable of going at speeds necessary to take that record. Also, some major sponsor have come on board to support our efforts. The most significant of these are the involvement of a team of THE world's premier aerodynamicist, CFD and wind tunnel specialists. These guys are currently conducting analysis of data from our earlier digital mapping of the vehicle to determine precisely what we need to do to the rear suspension on the vehicle for transonic and supersonic stability. This will also be cross checked with a wind tunnel model analysis against the CFD analysis to confirm everything. It should prove interesting, to say the least.

Yes, despite the long haul, things are finally coming together. This next year should be the year!

For the first time in the life of the project, three of our team members have not only gone overseas to give a presentation about the project, but their trip over to France and stay there were paid by our sponsor. This is certainly a step up in the prestige of the project. Now hopefully we'll soon get news that a financial sponsor has stepped forward and given us what's needed to get us to the final phase; a shot at the record.

But first, with the cooperation of the weather in the months to come, we plan on conducting an engine run to make sure it will go into afterburner. If not, we'll have to pursue whatever is necessary to remedy that challenge.

One of our team members is trying to bring onto the team an individual who has experience in managing and coordinating large projects such as our is. If that comes around, then Ed & Keith can step into a more appropriate role of driver and operations director respectively.

Looking ahead to next spring, the possibility is being explored for conducting another test run in southern California's high desert. Should these arrangements work out to our favor, a trip down south will most likely occur in April or May. Cross your fingers!

What an experience! After spending four and a half days out on the Black Rock desert playa I can understand why others have spoken about it the way they have. It's both a very beautiful and hostile place.

Because of its vastness, you are exposed to harsh thermal energy from the sun when there are no clouds and you can burn very quickly if you don't take measures to prevent it. Also, there's the very fine grain powder of the silt that makes up the playa; it gets into everything! When a weather front comes in over the region, there are no nearby natural obstructions to impede the wind that comes with the change in pressure that occurs when temperatures change. The resulting dust storms that kick up and blow into your eyes and hair are unbelieveable and unforgiving.

While the trip did meet two of its three main objectives for the test session, I was personally disappointed that the car didn't get the chance to stretch its legs and get up into the 400 & 500mph range that it could with the new all metal wheels we'd just put on it. But, that's just the nature of this type of endeavor; you have no guarantee that things will work out as hoped and you have to keep a balanced attitude about it.

Hopefully next spring will reveal that conditions are conducive for the team to go down once again to Black Rock and conduct another test session during good weather conditions.

Well, we're down to the wire now. Very possilby I'll be making a run up north this Friday with the new rear wheels in the back of my pickup truck to deliver them to our machine shop in Abbotsford, BC. so final work can be done on them and a last minute fitting can be done to make sure everything is going to work as expected.

This experience of being out on the playa of Black Rock desert should prove interesting, to say the least. Hopefully the weather won't be too much of a problem with conducting tests and everything goes fairly smoothly with the car; no steering problems and the wheels prove worthy of their reputation.

The collection of journal entries and images on the digital camera will be something else to wade through after the test session is over. It should, however, make for some very interesting material for this site.

Well, when your contender for the record goes missing, it certainly puts quite a wrinkle into the situation. Having not been found after nearly two full weeks, it's not looking good that he'll be found alive. We certainly hope that doesn't turn out to be the case.

While it would seem the pressure to get the car ready as soon as possible would be "off" that would not be any further from the truth. The team has never felt as though we were pressed to beat our contender to the record. We've always looked at the project with a patient, but steady approach to getting the work done necessary to make the car as safe as possible without making time a factor. Otherwise, when venturing into the realm of supersonic speeds, you're courting with trouble and possible disaster. We prefer avoiding that at all costs.

Because we've been dependent on those who've offered the project their services, donations, time, or a combination of two or all three to move it forward, the last six months have progressed along at a much slower rate than we'd hoped for. This has occurred in part due to the fact that there were several critical elements invovled in the collaborative effort between many companies coordinating the manufacturing of the high-speed wheels and the acquisition of bearings which will handle the stresses and pressures that will be part of such blistering speeds we'll be going eventually. These types of things are often beyond anyone's control and involve more patience and persistent nuturing than anything else.

However, many years ago, Ed, Keith and I were well aware that we would eventually find ourselves in such a position because we would be relying on the generosity of those who learned of our vision and believed it was possible to achieve enough to jump on board and play their role in the multi-faceted process. It is very heartening to learn that there are still people in our country who recognize the value something like this project has and the potential boost in pride it can bring to their fellow countrymen, should we succeed. For that, we will be forever grateful to those who've joined us in our quest.

With things happening so slowly over the summer, there hasn't been a whole lot to tell. Yes, we've been making progress, but it's mostly been either very gradual, or it's not something I can disclose in this format.

Let's just say that one doesn't want to reveal their hand too much when playing poker with the competition.

What's that? You say you're not aware of any competition? Well, for us, it's a matter of a "Johnny Come Lately" who thinks it's a matter of throwing enough money at it and you've got it. But, it's much more than that.

However, what I can say is that things are starting to come together. We've got our high speed wheels being built, our hydraulic system has been fixed and we're making progress in the electrical department as well. Our plans are to conduct another test session sometime before the end of this year, but it's a given that a record attempt is not in the cards for this year. Next year? Well, that's a possibility, but not a certainty.

One thing you can count on in this sport; there's never a certainty to anything, because you never know what will happen when.

My how things change with the passage of a little time. While some things seem to hardly move when it comes to things happening as you'd expect, other things just seem to dissolve before your eyes and are no longer an issue.. Some people say things they don't really mean, and other mean what they don't really say. Trust me, it's not the first time we've had this happen, and it most certainly won't be the last.

I know, I know... you're thinking to yourself, "What the h_ll is this guy talking about?" Well, since I'm not at liberty to divulge the details, I must speak cryptically for now. Suffice it to say that our potential change I spoke about earlier has evaporated, and yet in an other area of the project, we were promised something that would have given the project a boost forward, and it turned out to be an empty one that's put the project back into the same position it was earlier; scrambling for filling the void.

Still, we press on; slowly but surely making progress and shifting our timeline as we go, because we don't give up easily and believe we've still go a good shot at going for it. All the while, I'm hoping that what could occur later this year, doesn't, when it comes a contender. Hopefully, we'll be able to conduct another test session and prove our viability so that a sponsor steps up to the plate and chips in their support. It sure would make things happen much quicker and easily.

Even so, I wouldn't be surprised that there may well be things going on in the background which are happening to spring the project forward; changing the whole dynamics of the project's progress and eventual outcome. Only time will tell.

Yes, it has been a long time since I last put an entry onto this page; and for good reason. Last December's weather was such that a lot of extra time became available unexpectedly with not being able to work.

With the growing awareness that it would be necessary to begin building a new web site for this project, I decided to put my time and energies into doing just that. So, here you have it.

Now, I realize you're probably thinking to yourself, "Man, did it take him that long to rebuild it?" to which my answer would be, "Yes, and No." No, because I had the bulk of the contents done by January. Yes, because I had to wait patiently for the momentum to build sufficiently with those involved in the transition process to act on the request. So, you see, it's not always as clear cut as one would like to assume.

As to the progress of getting the necessary changes done to the car are concerned, most things are coming along fairly well. However, there are some setbacks (what's new). In order to deal with an undesired circumstance which has developed, we are considering a move that the owners of the project have been trying to avoid for its duration. While I won't be specific about exactly what this move might be, suffice it to say that if we do go through with it, it will be fairly obvious to everyone if and when it's revealed.

I will only hint that it is one of those realities which comes part and parcel to a project like this that is fueled mostly by a group of guys with plenty of vision and passion, but none of what it takes to make it happen. Those who've been involved in the sport of land speed racing for most of their lives will understand my cryptic words of truth and know exactly what I'm getting at.

Then again, we may end up biting the bullet and pressing on as we have for years now, hoping that a miracle manifests itself in the form of some individual who learns about us and lends a helping hand to eliminate the problem.

It must be nice to not have to worry about this problem, like someone else we know.

Last Saturday was another banner day for the project. With contacts made at the last appearance in Anaheim, a group of different companies that work together with portable equipment came to the John Force Holiday Auto Show in Yorba Linda, California to digitally map the entire car. This will allow us to build a wind tunnel model and get more accurate information on how to properly place fairing on the rear suspension of the car for middle to high speed runs.

Also in the works are the building of a set of Bi-metal aluminum alloy & titanium wheels and an effort to get the software programmed that will control the canards on the nose of the car. If these hurdles can be successfully overcome, then the project will be positioned nicely for an attempt at the record; baring the needed captial to finance it.

One week ago today the NAE™ began its three day appearance at the Aerospace Testing Exposition in Anaheim's Convention Center. Throughout this duration people from various aerospace industry companies came by the display of the car on the convention floor and were immediately curious, yet perplexed, about what they were looking at. After viewing the display boards that explained the various aspects of our project, they became excited and fascinated at the foresight and vision inherent in the project. They were quickly converted to the realization that, with the right support and testing to prove the theory, the quest to set a new world land speed record could succeed.

Following the expo appearance, and taking advantage of being in the vicinity, the NAE™ and team rendezvoused at the high desert test site of El Mirage dry lake bed east of Lancaster & Palmdale to conduct another test session. The primary purpose for this test session was to verify what had been learned and was suspected as the reason for the hydraulically operated steering problem of the front wheel. Tests confirmed that, while many improvements have been made over the past summer, several key issues related to the car's hydraulic system must still be dealt with. This will be the team's primary focus for this winter's work parties to come. The items which need addressing, while time consuming under the team's time constraints and professional commitments, are achievable, given the kind of support indicated from various parties currently offering services and materials for accomplishing the job at hand.

The NAE™ was left in its trailer at the Callaway Ranch on the edge of El Mirage to await the team's return in early December. It will be on display at the John Force Holiday Auto Show in Yorba Linda, CA on Sunday, December 3rd. Upon completion of this event, the car will be returned to its home in Spanaway, WA where it will undergo more changes in preparation for future test sessions. However, it is the hope of Owner/Driver Ed Shadle and his co-owner Keith Zanghi that if any more testing is conducted on aircraft tires, it will occur within Washington State since the expense of traveling to El Mirage is becoming prohibitively expensive and time consuming. Also, it is expected that, by next summer, the car will have a full set of newly forged aluminum alloy wheels on which to run mid-speed tests on a desert lake bed closer to home than El Mirage.

P.S. For those who've been following this "blog" on the project's development, you may be wondering what's become of the new Discovery Channel piece on our project's quest for the record. News, as vague as it is, has come to us that the piece will be aired some time next year as a part of a show titled "Hyperspeed". See the entry below for more context on this item.

This fall is certainly turning out to be one hell of a roller coaster ride. Several events have unexpectedly ocurred which leave one emotionally drained from the ups and downs encountered with this project. Allow me to explain.

Over the fall of 2004 and the spring of 2005, as we were getting the car ready for its first test runs, a video production crew did a shoot for a documentary on our project. At that time, no promises were made about whether or not the show would air in the United States, but the team was certainly hopeful. Getting that type of media exposure would mean a better chance of catching someone's eye for landing a sponsorship that would back this project financially to go for the record.

It turned out the the show was sold to Canada, the U.K., most of Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia, but not in the U.S. Well, we pressed on and got a second chance at a video production shoot while testing at El Mirage last spring. At that time, we were told by this camera crew that it definately would be aired in the U.S. in November. Then, just last month, we learned that it wouldn't air in the U.S. after all. We were somewhat depressed about this news, to say the least. However, we were too busy getting ready for our appearance in Anaheim next week to get our underpants into a "wedgie" over this news.

At the same time last month's bad news hit, Steve Fossett announced to the press that he had purchased Breedlove's Spirit of America vehicle and was having it modified for making an attempt at the very record we've been working for over nine years now, next fall. Just goes to show you that, when you've got financial backing, you can certainly get things done a lot faster. We sent Fossett a message welcoming him to the arena and wished him the best of luck with his endeavor.

Then, just last week, I began to receive an email here, and another there, talking about our documentary on Discovery Channel from folks in Ohio and California, but I thought they were referring to the show that aired in Europe, or Southeast Asia. Later in the week though, one of the team members sent the rest of the team an email informing us that our documentary that had aired overseas was now being aired in the U.S. by the Discovery Channel's MegaBuilders series. Jackpot!!!

However, the same evening this news came to the team and the show aired @ 10:00 PM PST, one of our team members, Ed Drumheller II passed away in his sleep from a heart attack only hours after he watched it. His widow informed me that he was very happy that our documentary finally made an airing in the U.S. Drumheller was the team's parachute/egress specialist who had contributed so much expertise to the project that we will truly miss this great man. After all, you don't meet many people in this world who designed a parachute that's still sitting on the surface of Venus! Don't believe me? Check out this man's personal biography page here on this site. It's there.

Unfortuately, because of plans, the team will not be able to attend his service which are scheduled at the same time the car will be testing on the El Mirage desert in California, so alternate services are being arrange with his widow for a team memorial service upon our return to Washington. Having had the pleasure of getting to know Drumheller, we know he would have wanted us to continue on with our scheduled test session as planned; especially since we'll already be in California for the week prior at the Anaheim Aerospace Testing Expo.

Today a press release about the NAE™ appearing at the Aerospace Testing Expo with the test session to follow hit the newswires. It included the recent announce-ment by Steve Fossett - record setter extrodinaire - to go for the land speed record with Craig Breedlove's former vehicle Steve had purchased from him. This certainly has the potential to raise both interest and sponsorship for us.

The team is spending the last weeks before heading south to California getting the hydraulic system reworked for testing. At the same time, some electrical and data acquisition system "fixes" are being done in an effort to have things working better than before.

What we learn at this coming test session will give us a more accurate indication of what we'll need to work on - along with getting the aluminum wheels made, canard software/system operational, and fairing added onto the rear suspension for the coming mid-speed testing - over the winter and spring months ahead.

Of course, if a financial backer comes along, it would certainly change everything and speed up the process greatly. Finding a finacial sponsor is the biggest reason for going to the Aerospace Testing Expo; there will be a lot of "big wheels" and connections made there.

Then, there's the John Force Car Show in early December. This will be another great opportunity to attract interested sponsors to help our project get beyond the remaining hurdles this project must overcome to take a crack at the record.

As before, the past two months have been quiet. Not a whole lot happening; an appearance here, a work party there. I like to think of it as the calm before the storm. I say this because of the events which are about occur next month.

The "triple whammy" will occur next month. First, the NAE™ will be appearing at the Aerospace Testing Expo in Anaheim, CA with an exposure to many top industry companies and "big dollar" visitors. Second, the article about our project, by Jay Leno, will be published in Popular Mechanics, and third, the Discovery Channel U.S. will be airing a piece on our project; shot last spring at El Mirage Dry Lake during testing.

With this level of exposure we're hoping something finally breaks loose from the sponsorship "log jam" we've been experiencing for the past 4 years.

It's been a relatively quiet month. We've gone to a few local venues to appear as a team, but without the car and just a model of it on display for people to see. It's stayed inside the trailer for the past seven weeks. However, the team has been working in the hangar on both electrical and hydraulic systems to correct the problems we've finally figured out.

Next month the car will come out of the trailer and preparations will be made for a possible engine run demonstration for the state's Governor and the Premier of British Columbia at the Museum of Flight. It will be a press event to show how we're using Seattle BioDeisel's fuel mixed with regular jet fuel to run the engine. It should garner some good press.

Then, it will be on to finishing up work on the car for the coming fall test runs; possibly at the Black Rock desert in Nevada, if details work out. Hopefully, we'll also have the aluminum wheels made so we can go above 350mph. A lot is still up in the air at this point in the project's progress.

The El Mirage experience was disappointing for a couple of reasons; one, we had some system malfunctions we thought we'd remedied, and two, the weather didn't cooperate and shut us down early. That, however, is the nature of working on a project like like this where new territory is being explored and uncertainties can change your plans in a moment.

While we did get a run in at speeds around 250 MPH on the first day, the weather the second day of testing closed in on us with a rain squall and soaked the course so that we couldn't run. The BLM ranger notified us that the lake bed was officially closed.

So, it's back to the shop and more thrashing over the summer to get the hydraulic steering working properly and take another shot at some test runs next fall. At this point, it's planned to occur in October at the Black Rock desert, if everything involved in doing so works out.

More changes have come along since my last entry. This is the nature of such an enterprise, so, I'm not complaining, and it's not surprising. As anyone reading this most likely already knows, our venue for test runs next month has changed from Muroc to El Mirage only a few miles in the same region of the high deserts of southern California.

The team has been working every weekend over the past two months to get things ready, but there have been some frustrating setbacks along the way which have challenged us. Nevertheless, we've managed to pull things together for pulling off a set of runs over the three days we plan to be there. The cause of the frustration has been the complexity of the systems we've put together on the car. With the limited funds and the generous donations of our existing sponsors to provide equipment, we've encountered some difficulties that have delayed our preparation and compressed the timeline for getting everything ready.

To complicate the experience while down there, we've been booked into two appearances; one as a "thank you" to a group of supporters who've helped us out big time, and the other is in Burbank only blocks away from Jay Leno's The Tonight Show studios where thousands will be coming to view the car and learn more about our project. Of course, it's hoped that potential sponsors of the "deep pocket" kind will also be there to consider sponsorship that will allow us to reach our ultimate goal; bringing back the record to North America.

On that note, we're aware that there will be a couple of serious sponsors watching us conduct our test runs at El Mirage dry lake. Hopefully things will progress without a hitch and it will impress them enough to go ahead with a sponsorship proposal for us to consider. For me, the interesting thing will be how long it will take before we know anything in this regard. I say this because timing is paramount regarding the time of year for the record attempt; October/November.

How fast things change in this venture! This isn't the first time either. Those who've been following the project for at least a few years will recall the similar situation which occured with the Moses Lake facility.

Last month we had every indication we would be running on Rogers Dry Lake bed, as we did last fall. Now, we've had to opt for running at Muroc to the east due some unfortuante developments within the last month. The runnable distance is about the same, but there are little to no modern "creature comforts" available there as there are at Rogers Dry Lake. So, the team will be "roughing it" this time.

This time we will only be running, again, on the F-16 tires (rubber) which are rated to 400 mph in June. However, we've had some PR work done by an associate in California to have us appear at an event in Los Angeles in early June, so that's why we've moved up the date into the next month. This event is at the largest bookstore in the L.A. basin, so it should be interesting.

Immediately after the L.A. test run and appearance, the team has been invited to appear and run on the 5K runway at the Olymipa Air Museum show in mid-June. So, depending on how things go, we may be making a couple of runs in just two weeks.

Unexpected news has come back to the team! The promoter who had approached us to be the headliner for an event which would involve a major city tour of Asia, called "Go Big, or Go Home" has informed us that things are slowly coming together for it and is now looking like it may happen in the Fall of '06 or Spring of '07. If this does materialize it will mean an influx of much needed funds to the project. In this business it's a game of patience and perseverance.

With spring fast approaching and the appearance behind us, two critical things must come into place at the right time. The crew must get the remaining needed modifications completed by the early part of May, and the all aluminum alloy forged wheels have to have been made by Steve Green at Eagle Machine. If not, this could delay our next scheduled test run on Rogers Dry Lake bed.

It's my guess that the progress of these two key items over the next month will determine whether or not we run in May. I'm crossing my fingers.

Doug Schwartz, a photojournalist the team met while at Edwards AFB last October, has seriously come on-board as our PR/Sponsorship Promoter. He's making progress with having professional looking DVD case covers made up and putting together sponsorship proposal packets to send out to carefully researched companies which might have a greater inclanation to sponsor a project such as ours. We can only hope his added efforts in this area will net the project its much needed "shot in the arm" of funds to go for the record.

January went by like the NAE was doing 800 MPH! Oh well, at least it was quiet as far as things happening with the project. However, with things picking up a bit, it's time to post yet another of my "blogs" about what's going on.

The team is working furiously on the car; making modifications to it after extracting the engine. With most of the modifications done, the team will be reinstalling the engine to get ready for being on display at a local aviation trade show the end of this month.

On the sponsorship issue, it seems that with time and experience, the team is beginning to learn "the ropes" of what it takes to land a sponsor. A five minute promotional DVD has been produced with the help of our local sponsor - Puget Sound Video - and we've found out that many marketing agencies are looking for specific items to "fit the bill" for companies that need a certain "fit", which means that timing is everything. If a sponsorship package from us doesn't come to the marketing agency at the moment they need a land speed racing car, then it's dumped and forgotten. Such is the fast paced world of marketing and sponsorship.

With spring soon approaching, the team is getting "itchy" to head back to Edwards AFB and the Rogers Dry Lake bed in May for another shot at running the car even faster - in the mid 400 MPH range. Ed Shadle & Steve Green are currently working on putting something together for the all metal wheels being built, with Steve Green heading over to England to pay a visit to our land speed racing friends across "the pond" - the Thrust SSC folks.

With the holidays in full tilt many of the team members have been busy with family or out of town to visit loved ones; especially with Christmas & New Year's Eve falling on Saturdays this year.

The team has voted to scrap the appearances - partly because we got no sponsors to fund the cost and also because we didn't want to take the time out of our already limited time we'll be spending on getting things done to the car.

Some of the team gathered together for a Christmas Eve breakfast in Spanaway. Information on tasks ahead for the winter were shared and gifts were exchanged. This cold, gray and wet weather is depressing! Can't wait for spring to come.

Winter has settled in here in the Pacific Northwest and the project is at a crossroads once again. Do we go on the road to some appearances at potentially beneficial shows where we might get the attention of a sponsor, but eat up valuable time in the hangar getting modifications done, or, do we stay at home and get needed work done on the car so we'll be ready for our next test run session, but lose out on possibly landing a sponsor to fund our record attempt?

These questions are what pull at the team who want to do both, but can't. It's either one or the other, with occasionally rare situations of achieving both. Such is the reality of doing a monumental project of this magnitude with very little capital and an all volunteer team.

The difficulty of getting a sponsor for a project of this nature are legion. First, it is virtually unknown to the general public. Those who are interested in this sport are a special and different kind of person with a passion for things FAST. Second, land speed racing has never had a "purse", or prize; like the X-Prize that finally gave the boost to the private space travel industry it sorely needed. Land speed racing is not conducive to being a spectator sport where fans can watch, but then, one could say the same thing about the America's Cup if it weren't for the event being televised and the prize that goes with winning it. Third, because of these factors, most potential sponsors see no opportunities for the return on their investment. However, this is short-sighted, because there is more potential for a return on investment if the right opportunities are taken advantage of in the aftermath of getting the record. The problem with many investors in today's economy is that they are unwilling to take too big of a risk.

Several people have written me asking if we've contacted someone like Paul Allen, John Travolta, or Tom Cruise. To them I reply, "Hey, if you've got the means by which I can contact them directly to get a chance to pitch to them our project, please give it to me!" What most folks don't realize is that celebrities, or wealthy individuals like them have learned early on in their rise to the top that they have to "buffer" themselves from the hordes that would like to pitch to them about their project that could succeed if they could just get the seed money to make it happen. And herein lies the "Catch 22" of our dilema. Until and unless we get sufficient exposure and attention of that special individual who has the same passion as we do, but with the deep pockets we don't have, and is interested in exploring the potential for return on investment sponsoring this project could generate, we'll have to do this project "on the cheap" baby. But hell, it's all part of being entrepreneurs in a free enterprise system.

The biggest event to date for the project has come and gone. The trip to Edwards AFB, an appearance at the Open House/Air Show, and a four day test run check proved very interesting indeed.

The team has experienced a "million dollar" lesson on what not to do, as well as what we are doing right. This trip revealed to me that we can no longer afford to place ourselves in a position whereby a deadline to accomplish work places the car's performance in a less than optimum operating condition. The team is also begining to realize we need to discipline ourselves and follow procedure on various tasks; from work done, to the role each team member plays on the team. Yet, while we are still somewhat rough around the edges, we have one thing going for us that will ensure us of success; the comraderie and motivation as a team to work out issues that need to be delt with, while having the maturity and vision to not let personalities and problems get in the way of our goal. This was confirmed by statements made from another land speed racer that holds a great deal of repsect with the team.

This was a "million dollar" experience because we had access to a facility that is very diffictult, if not impossible to get; a run course and staging facility that is "top drawer" for a land speed racing team to use. Although we did not reach speeds hoped for, the time spent and tests conducted were worth it. The base personnel treated the team with such wonderful support and hospitality that it was hard to leave.

The team looks forward to making further modifications to the car to improve its performance and move the project closer to going for the record by returning to this facility early next year when weather and conditions permit.

Another summer is rapidly leaving us as the start of yet another school year is just beginning. The team is now in full swing of doing what needs to be done to prepare the car for its appearance at Edwards AFB next month. An incredible amount of coordination is required to accomplish this process, with various parts being worked on at several different shops around the region simultaneously.

New developments with some of the team members who happen to work for a very large corporation, however, gives rise to hopes that more time can now be dedicated to getting this work done once parts begin returning to the NAE™ shop due to their not being at work. While this is a plus for the project, the other side of this two edged sword is that some members may find themselves financially "strapped" due to lack of income for the duration if this situation goes for very long. This does not bode well, especially in light of the looming impact of the devistation in the deep south from Hurricane Katrina late last month. This may develop into a situation where our team's comradery and support of one another will be tested.

Well, after returning from my backpack trip in California with my friend from L.A., I learned I didn't really miss much by being gone. At the last minute, the "brass" turned down our request to run the car on the runway because of the paid jet car sponsored by the Air Force Reserve. Unfortunately Ed couldn't find another cooperative airstrip close enough to take the car to for a run on so the Discovery Channel US could tape it for their show as planned.

Overall, it was probably a good thing it didn't happen anyway; with some of the team members gone on personal excursions - like Steve, our data acquisition specialist - it would not have been a "premium" situation for such an event. Dispite the disappointment, the team had no hard feelings about being excluded as we understood that they were paid and we were simply guests. In the end, the driver of the jet car (about 1/3 the size of the NAE™) came over and talked with team members for over an hour and learned all about our project.

Now the team enters into a crunch period for the project with a long list of things to do to the car in preparation for our scheduled mid-speed runs down south this fall. Once everyone returns from their personal excursions, things will be going fast and furious every weekend as we make necessary modifications to the car.

Ed is trying his best to russle up some sponsorship for at least the fall event, where cameras will definately be rolling and used in the future for both PR and documentary purposes.

This is our busy season. We just returned last week from our appearance at Dawson Creek, BC and have lots of work to finish before the team appears at the McChord Air Expo the end of this month. Plus, while there, the car will be doing a test run on the base's runway with the Discovery Channel USA taping it for a show called "Supersonic". The ironic thing about this event, at least for me, is that, because of my friend's death in the family, our backpack trip had to be delayed until the last week of this month, which means I'll most likely miss being there unless something prevents it from occurring.

August through mid-October we'll be really thrashing on modifying the car for a mid-range test run at our appearance down at Edwards AFB, where this airframe used to call home.

News has been announced by Ed that a particular touring show has approached the project and asked us to submit a bid for our being part of an asian/middle eastern circuit that would headline the NAE. Details at this point are foggy or unkown at this point, but man, if we got to do something like that and pour funds into the project, things could really take off for this project.

It's the eve of the team's 3rd Annual BBQ. Someone on the team will have besotwed on them the "Velvet Hammer" Award for screwing up.

It's been a month since my last entry, so it's time to add a few more thoughts. Slow, but steady, progress has been made in several areas of modifying the car for mid-speed runs next fall. Data acquisition is making good progress, hydraulics is being revamped, so as to isolate it further away from the cockpit area, and our biggest coup is the addition of a local company that will be making the wheel suspension fairings to reduce the drag they'll create. It's going to be most interest-ing to see how it looks when finally on the suspension.

The team will now "gear up" for scheduled appearances next month in BC, Puyallup, and Tacoma. Then, August & Sept. will be back into the shop for some serious work on finishing modifications. We're scheduled to appear at Edwards AFB's Open House in October and while we're down there we'll conduct our October test runs in So. CA at low sustained speeds and some mid-speed runs. By then, we'll know for sure whether or not the car is going to appear in the L.A. Auto Show in January. SWEET!

With the conflict of interest issue resolved for one of our team members, Team NAE™ is moving forward, despite the setback which has resulted from this investigation by his employer. We've now performed two test runs, with the most recent one earlier this month at the same test facility. While we are looking ahead to the summer season of putting the car on display at a few venues, our biggest frustration is the lack of interest by companies we've approached for the purpose of landing a sponsor/financial backer. So many rejections is not easy to handle, but if we keep plugging at it, one will eventually come along.

A one day test run at our test facility went off without a hitch yesterday. I captured a 30 second video clip on my digital camera; good enough to give our followers an idea of what it looks like. Once raw video footage is collected and edited by our LandpseedProductions team, we'll be able to put up some higher quality footage for viewing.

An interesting "curve" in the journey has just developed with the project. A team member has been accused by the company he works for of conflict of interest through the use of intellectual property. Our reaction is one of laughing, as we know nothing of the sort has occurred. So, now it's a matter of wading through the bureaucratic hoops to satisfy the company's ethics division. Well, the word certainly is going around about our project. Some team member's speculation is that this action is in reaction to the recent scandal which got the company's CEO fired.

Once again, plans for a photo shoot test run at our test facility has been delayed out of the need to complete ongoing modifications. We have no need to rush things and we need better weather than this spring has been dishing out thus far, so we'll be patient and go for the first weekend in May.

Our plans for another test run at our test facility this weekend have been delayed due to the availability of equipment and people, so we get other things done that need doing. We'll now shoot for April 16th and hope the weather cooperates then.

Fantastic! Two days of so much excitement, I was totally drained after it was all over. But it was worth every second of it. The awsome roar of that engine, the quickness of the car taking off and getting down to the other end of the airstrip so fast made me desperate to do something stupid in order to get a sponsor's attention in order to get the funding we need for getting to Black Rock. Donald Campbell was so right when he said on an old '50s interview about land speed racing that it becomes an obsession with you once you're hooked. I can't wait to put video footage up on this site and let other see what "the beast" will do now that she's operational. Soon, soon.

Wow, a successful engine run with no problems! Next weekend is a go. At the same time, we had an aricle in the Seattle Times which was the second most read article for the Sunday, 3/6/05 edition. It generated several phone interviews for Ed Shadle to local radio stations, as well as one back east and another in Australia. Also, Ed was contacted by Good Morning America about coming out to shoot a test run in the future.

This next weekend should be interesting, especially with the paper article mentioning where our test facility is located. Hope it's not a crowd controll problem.

It's been several weeks since my last entry. Being that much has happened during this period, I shall catch up with things. Late February the rebuilt engine was brought back down from S&S Turbine Service in Ft. St. John, BC. The following weekend's work party saw us installing it into the car's body. The excerpt below is a comment shared with one of our project followers which expresses what this setback has meant for the team and how we are approaching the upcoming attempt at test runs again.

"Yes, we are confident that things will go much smoother this time around. Things like that are almost to be expected in this sport, so we never announce anything with total certainty; as much as we'd like to never have such problems. We learned there were a combination of issues which contributed to that failure. Because of it, we've learned a lot and can now move on with more experience, caution and expectation for success. Of course, there's a definate degree of reputation on the line with the desire to prove the viability of the project, so it's a two edged sword as well."

Several unfinished tasks which needed to be done before this next test run forced Ed & Keith into getting another week's extension on the camera crew coming out west from Toronto to shoot the event for their documentary. This provides us with the time to complete tasks to completion and the opportunity to take the car to a local airstrip and run up the engine to check that all is working properly as expected this time before having the camera crew come out.

We go into this weekend with crossed fingers, high hopes for a successful engine run, and a positive experience the following weekend with the test runs at our testing facility.

Happy Valentine's Day, my love. More than a month has gone by since my last entry, so it's time to catch up on what's gone down.

After the mechanics at S&S Turbines in Ft. St. John tore down and rebuilt the engine, it's been discovered that the cause of all our engine problems were directly because of the timing cable from the fuel controller back to the a/b actuators. Last June, while we testing the engine up north for the first time, we encountered problems with this very cable and had to remove and reinstall it because the turkey feathers on the a/b weren't working right. After doing that, it appeared to be working correctly for us during runs. However, upon the tearing down process, it was discovered that this cable had obviously slipped out of timing with the gears during our first engine run and was not in sync thereafter; thus the inability to get to 100% mil.

More good news has come our way. The Discovery Channel U.S. has approached us for the purpose of doing a series of shoots around our quest for the record with the angle that contenders, like Rosco McGlashen from Australia, will also be going for the record as well. Of course, our project is much further along than his, so this is not even considered a threat to us, unless SpaceDev and Paul Allen throw a ton of money at his project to bring it along super fast. SpaceDev is the very same company that Allen & Rutan used with their rocket engine propellant to get SpaceShipOne into lower outer space last June of '04. Wouldn't it be interesting to have a U.S. company help a foreign LSR team while ignoring a team in their own backyard that's been trying to get their attention for a couple of years?

Well, with all the setbacks occuring, it's not exactly been condusive to adding entries into this journal. But, since it's been so long, it's time to put a few comments in.

Over the holidays the team has gotten together and run the engine in an attempt to troubleshoot the problem; it's inablility to run up to beyond 78% power on start-up. It was narrowed down, with Bill's assistance of two engine mechanic guys from nearby McChord AFB, to the fuel controller sensor line having a leak and not supplying sufficient pressure to the viarble stator blades. With the addition of external pressure supplied by a generator pump, we managed to get it to perform up to the maximum 78% on start-up, but no farther. Then, it happened.

Flames shot out the exhaust, followed by shrapnel from the disintegrating turbine blades from the compressor section of the engine. This forced us to ship the engine back up north to our supplier, S&S Turbine Services, Ltd. in Fort St. John, B.C. and have it overhauled.

In the meantime, this gave various specialists on the team more time to complete the work they rushed to rig together to meet the run deadline. So, there is a silver lining to unfortunate events that hold back the progress of a project like this. One of those things we're now getting done is the construction of an engine loading stand that will help us install it much faster once the rebuilt engine returns to the shop in Spanaway, WA.

Sometime in the next month or two, we'll then be able to complete our low speed testing phase and the film shoot that was being done with it.

I didn't add an entry last weekend in hopes that the frustration of not having a successful engine run at Spanaway Airport over two days would have been just an unpleasant memory. Instead, for the second weekend in a row, the engine is refusing to work properly.

Today, after doing some fuel nozzle and thermo-couple checks, the team started the engine up again to see if the loose boss fitting for one of the nozzle lines found on one of the nozzles was allowing pressure to leak; thus possibly causing our searching problem at 60%. Once air was put to it and it started spinning up, a lot of vapor came misting out the tail. When Ed switched on the ignitors, woompf!, a huge flame came belching out the back end for about 30 feet. It died down after about 10 seconds, but over the remainder of the engine run getting up to a steady 50%, the A/B shower rings, and much of the other hardware that can be seen from behind was glowing red hot. We kept the air cart blowing through the engine as we spooled it down to off and decided to call it quits for the day - it was already dark.

We loaded up the car and Bill is going to have to take advantage of the consulting services of our engine expert to see if we can establish just what the hell's going on with our low speed engine. So, until we can get a clear idea of what's preventing us from getting it up to 100% on start-up, it appears we're on hold for our test runs. We hope we won't have to yank the engine out, but the more we troubleshoot things, the more it is looking like that's what we may just have to do.

This is certainly turing out to be a learning process for Team NAE™. After getting the car ready and out on the end of the taxiway, we managed to spool up the engine, but only to 35% - it was starving for fuel. We pulled the fuel filter, but that wasn't the reason for the problem. More analysis by Bill and Steve concluded that the fuel pumps had problems.

So, we dragged the NAE™ back into the trailer and drove home. Our suspicions were correct - three of the four fuel pumps were bad and work had to be done on them before being reinstalled. Next weekend will be our second try at getting "the beast" to run under her own power for the first time.

The team handled this disappointment very well. There were no complaints and everyone continued doing their part to get the job done - whatever it may have been.

Today the team transports the NAE™ to our test runs facility. Expectations and anxiety can be sensed easily as we spent yesterday trying to check the hydraulic system to operate the speed door brakes. Although these are not critical at this time, it was a bit of a let down for most team members to spend hours and not be able to get it to work right. So, Ed had to make the call to close them up after we managed to get them to open to differing settings and not bother using them at this initial shakedown run.

With the Discovery Channel crew taping our process, we were pleased that our loading of the car - the very first time with the engine and mid-wheels in the car - went smoothly. Today will be unloading andsetting up for performing simple procedures tomorrow and possibly a very slow taxi down the airstrip.

Once again, we have encountered the "roller-coaster" type experience that this sport is. When you're working so hard to make it happen and you give so much of your time and energy, only to have something happen that throws you a curve and makes it more difficult, it's all the more disappointing, but also interesting at the same time. The frustrating thing that most folks out there aren't aware of is that this project is based purely on vision, inspiration, and the willingness of two guys, Ed & Keith, to spend out of their pockets to bring it to where it is today.

For over a year now the team has patiently worked with the folks at the management of a facility on the east side of the state to line things up so they'll run smoothly once the time arrives. Everyone we talked to was excited and wanted to help in any way they could. They were eager to have us come and run the car there. That is what we felt we had going up until a new director came into the position about two months ago. Well, the time had arrived, and when we contacted them to make final arrangements, the new director suddenly began demanding things that would cost us expenses we couldn't afford with an all volunteer team project like this is. A $10,000,000 insurance policy and ONLY two runs per day for two days? No thanks!

So, we've had to bail out of going to the facility on the east side of the state like we thought we would. Our "Plan B" is to go north to a facility that's outside the country where they have shown us more willingness toward running the car; without a lot of the bureaucratic road blocks. However, if Ed can't finalize arrangement details early this coming week, we'll have to abandon that location for our "Plan C" - a place we've gone to in the past when we ran the prototype vehicle. It's shorter, definately smaller, but adequate for a shake-down run like we plan to do. And, the folks there remembered us from years ago and were happy we wanted to come back.

So, last minute shuffling and changes may be in order. We can only wait and hope things work out for the "Plan B" larger facility up north.

With only one more weekend before the team hauls the car over to the east side of the Cascade mountains, I look back on the many years I've put into this project; some with great fondness, excitement and enthusiasm, others with trepidation and uncertainty. As one of the original three team members who began this project, I feel a deep sense of pride and accomplishment as I think about what we've managed to accomplish thus far, as well as fascination at what we are about to embark upon; a whole new phase of the project.

It is an honor to be associated with Ed & Keith, the two co-owners of this project, because their vision, determination, and ingenuity have inspired me to know first hand that if you believe strongly enough, it can come true. We've managed to obtain a vehicle platform in decrepid condition, spend years rebuilding it, and gathering people around us of varying skills and expertise - and all voluntary participation! It is this vision that has "hooked" the rest of the team members to come onboard to help make their dream come true; of going for the world land speed record and a place in the anals of history. They've also managed to attract a multitude of business sponsors who are providing donations or in-kind services in support of our project.

I suspect that there will be many from the news media in the months and years to come who will attempt to grasp the essence of a project of this scope. Unfortunately, my experience tells me that it will be near impossible for them to not only be close to accurate, but also comprehend in a way that the public will understand the complexity and magnitude of what has gone on for so many years to make this effort a reality. Even I am certain I don't have a full understanding of the effort and sacrafice Ed & Keith have put into nursing the project along.

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