Shockwave Jet Truck

The first fastest truck in the world was a steam-powered prototype created by founder Benz. At that time, the car rushed past the extras with lightning speed, enveloping them in clouds of steam, so much so that they did not have time to record the record speed. They did not attach much importance to this, since it was believed that the main purpose of trucks was to transport materials and goods to the right place from the required point. They were treated exclusively as heavyweights, leaving the right to records to aircraft and racing machines.

"Phoenix"

Before deciding on the fastest truck in the world, it is worth noting that races on large vehicles were held regularly. The main purpose of such races is to entertain the public with clumsy maneuvers and powerful roar of engines. Not many people dared to set speed records on such units.

For example, racer Carl Heap (after retiring) and his friend Robert Slagle still planned to create the fastest truck in the world. Designers began preparing to test the prototype in 1987. It is worth noting that the car was built by colleagues with their own hands and was equipped with a diesel power plant. The weight of the equipment is 8.5 tons, the length is over nine meters.

The unit was called UDT, and they decided to conduct the race at the bottom of a dry lake in the vicinity of the city of Bonneville. The first record was 254 km/h. The car received its nickname “Phoenix” for a series of unsuccessful starts, during which it broke down and burned. Photo of the car is presented above.

The world's fastest Volvo truck

In this category, the Swedish company presents a car from the “hybrid” segment. The name of the car is Mean Green. When designing this equipment, the most innovative and advanced technologies in the combined installations industry were introduced. Under the hood of the original vehicle is a set consisting of an electric motor and a diesel engine. At one kilometer the car can accelerate to 153 km/h. The record speed is 236 km/h. Such impressive characteristics are achieved thanks to the total power of the power plants, amounting to 2100 horsepower.

Car speed

Passenger cars are the most common vehicles; almost every family has one.

Standard restrictions for passenger cars are the following:

The speed limit in a populated area is 60 kilometers/hour;
Maximum speed outside the city (settled areas) – 90 kilometers/hour;
The permitted speed on highways and highways is 110 kilometers/hour.

There is one more important nuance in this list. In courtyard areas, that is, directly in residential areas, speed is limited to a minimum, no more than 20 km/h . The risk of an accident with a pedestrian in a residential area is much higher than just on a busy road passing at a relative distance from apartment buildings. Thus, the speed limit is a reasonable and reasonable requirement.

Read more: Photos of car brands with names

There are three types of signs (see below):

Prohibition sign (No. 1 and No. 2) – reduces the maximum speed, can often be found in areas under repair or near schools, hospitals, and other public places;

Mandatory sign (No. 3) – sets the speed limit for a given section of the road. For example, it can be equal to 90 kilometers per hour, so as not to create unnecessary traffic jams;

Recommended sign (No. 4 and No. 5 (end zone)) – similar to the mandatory sign, but is advisory and not mandatory.

"Scania"

Scania is considered one of the recognized leaders in the automotive industry. It produces the fastest truck in the world among production models under the symbol R-730. The machine was developed taking into account use under increased and constant loads. The vehicle cabin is designed to withstand severe mechanical and vibration impacts. In addition, Scania has improved handling and a modernized suspension, allowing it to overcome serious off-road conditions.

Power unit characteristics:

Working volume – 16.4 liters.
Torque – 3500 Nm.
The total weight of the road train is 40 tons.
The speed limit is 200 km/h.

"Shockwave"

This is one of the fastest trucks in the world (photo below) several times exceeded the achievements of the cars reviewed before. The unique record holder was created on the basis of the Peterbilt-359 tractor, popular in the 80s. Naturally, radical modifications were made, leaving virtually no trace of the original. The chief designer of this unit is former racer Less Shockley. Under his leadership, a whole group of specialists was assembled, whose goal was to create the fastest truck in the world.

The original equipment is equipped with three Pratt & Whitney J3448 jet engines placed on a 260-inch base. It is worth noting that these engines were used for military aviation. Power and traction figures are calculated for speeds up to 400 meters in 6.6 seconds. Each “engine” has a power of 12 thousand “horses”. The vehicle weighs almost seven tons. The car's record speed is 600 km/h. The use of the jet giant is purely for entertainment purposes and competitions in all kinds of speed parameters. Shockwave even competed with airplanes. Nevertheless, there was a competitor who broke this record.

Shockwave

This truck is the fastest, most expensive and most useless we've ever seen. It’s scary to even think what will happen to the cargo, and even the semi-trailer, if someone gets the idea to use this car as a truck tractor, which it can be mistaken for at first glance. Working on American highways is a thing of the past, when this monster was an ordinary highway “Peter” (as truckers call Peterbilt). Today he has a different name and a different profession, and all this is thanks to the efforts of one enthusiast - Les Shockley.

His racing career began in 1960, when Les, as a sixteen-year-old teenager, competed in the stock car class at the San Gabriel Dragstrip in California. His further career as a racing driver developed rapidly and brilliantly - at the age of 19 he competed in the “super stock” class (modified production cars) in the team of the Milnes brothers. This is a rarity in the world of motorsports, which is traditionally amateur in America, especially for a driver of such a young age.

Les also distinguished himself in the field of building racing cars of the Funnycar class, setting a series of records on them since 1968. He also built “street” roadsters, but all this was just preparation for the realization of Les Shockley’s lifelong dream - a racing car with a jet engine. And what kind...

It took Les Shockley five years to develop the Shockwave jet dragster project. During this time, he managed to attract many specialists from both the field of motor sports and aircraft manufacturing to his work, including Gil Peers, the developer of the Pratt & Whitney J34-48 jet engines, which, by the way, are still used on the Navy T2A Buckeye aircraft. USA.

The result was a series of jet dragsters in which Shockley won national jet car competitions for several years in a row and, notably, became the first driver to cover the 1/4 mile (402 m) distance in less than five seconds. However, Shockley did not dare to begin his most unusual creation for a long time. According to him, taking on this project was not an easy decision. It took his eldest son Kent two years just to convince his father to take the business seriously, and another two years were spent bringing the project to metal.

In total, the project required about 4,000 man-hours and half a million dollars. But the result justified all hopes and, most importantly, the invested funds. The 1985 American Peterbilt truck tractor was chosen as the platform for mounting the jet power plant. The use of jet propulsion does not imply wheel drive, so the truck has no transmission. There is also emptiness under the impressive hood - a jet truck does not need a diesel engine.

Nevertheless, he did not stop consuming diesel fuel, and does so in frightening quantities: 400 gallons (1514 liters) per 1 mile (1.6 km). The classic quarter-mile drag race requires 454 liters of diesel fuel. By the way, it is spent not only on movement, but also on the creation of two huge fiery torches above the vertical “exhaust pipes”.

The power plant of the jet truck is three Pratt&Whitney J34-48 jet engines with a total power of 36,000 hp. and static thrust 8618 tons. The engines are located on the seat platform, their axis is directed three degrees upward to create downforce. The massive rear wing serves the same purpose. Large-diameter disc brakes were installed on all wheels, but the main means of braking are not them, but two brake parachutes - the main one and the spare one, located in horizontal pipes on the sides of the engines.

The maximum speed that the dragster reached was approximately 600 km/h over a two-mile distance. This record was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest speed a truck has ever achieved. Realizing that he had few competitors in the “race mile,” Les took the next step, which brought him fame and glory.

"Hawaiian Eagle": the fastest truck in the world

Under this original name, the most reactive vehicle among trucks competes at races. The project was created on the basis of firefighting equipment and has a rather unusual exterior, shocking viewers already at the acceleration stage. This unique vehicle is a radically modernized version of the “pozharka” produced in 1940. After decommissioning, the equipment was sent to a well-deserved rest. However, in 1995, a certain Shanon Seidel, out of enthusiasm, decided to buy an “old” car and turn it into a rocket on wheels. The reconstruction of the car took three years. As a result, practically nothing was left of the base. Instead of water tanks, jet power plants developed by .

Despite the fact that only two engines were installed, the Hawaiian Eagle managed to defeat its main competitor. A special parachute was used as the main brake, since no existing system could slow down a multi-ton vehicle at sky-high speeds. The current world record for the fastest truck in the world, the characteristics of which are as far removed from the original Ford fire truck, is 655 km/h. No one has yet managed to exceed this figure. However, in this area, everything can change at any moment; all that remains is to wait for original ideas and their implementation in reality.

Pros and cons of a manual transmission

Driving cars with a manual transmission and competent control of such vehicles has specific features, the knowledge of which is necessary for any driver.

Proper starting of a mechanical engine has a positive effect on its service life and ensures the safety of surrounding machines and people. To avoid causing interference, you must periodically drive away quickly.

Sequence of actions when starting the machine:

depress the clutch pedal all the way and move the gearshift lever to the neutral position; if you have doubts whether the speed has been selected correctly, you need to move the lever handle to the sides; when the gearshift handle is in the neutral position, the lever moves freely to the right and left;
when moving the car to neutral, it is necessary to secure the vehicle to avoid uncontrolled movement; to do this, the car is put on the handbrake or the brake pedal is depressed;
When the clutch is depressed and the car is held with the brake, you need to turn the ignition key, the icons on the instrument panel should light up, as soon as almost all the icons go out, you should further turn the key and after starting the engine, release the key.

Experienced drivers and mechanics advise:

turn the starter, that is, start the engine for no more than 10 seconds to avoid breakdowns; if the car does not start, turn the key back and after a minute the engine starting procedure is repeated;
When starting in sub-zero temperatures, it is necessary to warm up the car for several minutes with the clutch pedal depressed to reduce the load on the engine and transmission due to the thickening of the oil from frost.

The gear shift circuit for a manual transmission is most often located on the outer part of the lever handle.

The speed switching process consists of several stages:

Press the clutch pedal all the way with your left foot;
with your right hand, move the lever to the required position;
Gently release the clutch pedal and slowly press the accelerator pedal.

Recommendations from seasoned drivers for extending the life of a manual transmission:

Driving in direct gear (fourth on most gearboxes) will reduce fuel consumption;
Reverse speed is selected only after the vehicle has completely stopped moving;
the pedal must be pressed quickly and all the way, and released with a careful, measured movement, avoiding jerking;
on a road with insufficient grip (ice, clay, wet surfaces), driving in neutral or with the clutch pedal depressed is contraindicated;
when making a turn, it is not recommended to squeeze the clutch, even to change speed;
When moving freely on the road, it is possible to effectively brake the engine by gradually lowering the steps.

Regularly checking the fluid level and replacing it according to the manufacturer's instructions will extend the life of the manual transmission.

In most mechanical transmissions, the working fluid is replaced at intervals of 50-60 thousand kilometers due to the accumulation of work by-products and a decrease in the properties of the oils.

Advantages of manual transmission:

it is possible to tow the car to any route distance, even with the engine turned off;
it is possible to start the car from a pusher when the battery is discharged or there is a malfunction in the ignition system;
smaller dimensions and weight than an automatic transmission;
the dynamism of the vehicle, the ability to choose the driving style by appropriately changing the engine speed;
it is possible to use to the maximum all the capabilities of the engine at the speeds regulated by the manufacturers at each speed, at which the torque is maximum or close to it;
dynamic acceleration and fuel economy compared to an automatic (with aggressive and sporty driving styles, consumption increases);
simplicity of design;
reasonable price for maintenance and repairs, especially in comparison with automatic transmissions;
great work resource.

The disadvantages of manual transmission include:

the difficulty of driving cars with manual transmission, especially for beginners;
clutch, which can be burned by inexperienced drivers or with regular slipping in snow and ice;
due to inexperience, there is a possibility of damaging the transmission when switching to reverse gear when moving forward or operating the clutch incorrectly;
reduced engine life due to too low or, conversely, high speeds, the automatic transmission will not allow this to happen;
when switching gears is not fast enough and when switching at too low speeds, a significant loss of engine power occurs;
increased fatigue due to the need to control the clutch, selecting and changing gears, especially for inexperienced drivers;

There are quite a lot of advantages of a manual transmission, and the disadvantages will disappear as you gain experience driving a manual transmission.

Lowest cost compared to other types;
Much less weight compared to hydromechanical transmission;
High efficiency compared to hydromechanical transmission;
Usually does not require a separate cooling system, like an automatic transmission;
Despite considerable progress in the field of automatic transmission design, today the average car with an automatic transmission, all other things being equal, is inferior to a car with a manual transmission in terms of fuel efficiency and acceleration dynamics;
Relative simplicity and sophisticated design;
Quite high reliability (the service life of the manual transmission itself without repair is comparable to the service life of the car as a whole, but the clutch requires fairly frequent replacement);
Most models do not require scarce or specific consumables or frequent maintenance;
Cars with manual transmission have a wider range of special driving techniques; an experienced driver can use such a car more effectively when driving in icy conditions, through mud and off-road;
A car with a manual transmission can be easily pushed and can be towed any distance at any speed;
Manual transmission, unlike hydromechanical automatic transmission, allows complete separation of the engine and transmission;

Tiring gear changes for the driver, especially in the city cycle and driving in traffic jams;
Regarding automatic transmission, driving a car is more difficult; it requires a specific skill to achieve smooth gear shifting without jerking;
Shifting gears involves temporary separation of the engine and transmission, which increases shift time;
As with any manual transmission, it is impossible to smoothly change the gear ratio with a reasonable number of steps, unlike a CVT.
Low clutch resource;

Since manual transmission requires much more experience from the driver than automatic transmission, in some countries there is a practice of either making two different types of driving “licenses”, or accepting driving tests only for manual transmission (Pakistan, Russian Federation).