Your Top Speed

[Skuzzy]

Originally Posted by GRUF78

About 1107 knots ground speed in my F/A-18 A+; about 1273 MPH .

147 in my then, brand new, 1994 Corvette on 103rd St in Jacksonville, FL.

About 155+ in my Cobra on FM 4 here in North TX.

GRUFF

Yeah, but you have no sense of speed at 30,000+ feet. Now, if you tell me you were doing that NOE, then let's talk because that would be a wild ride.

[Bartruff1]

Originally Posted by WardL

How many of you guys have spoilers under the front nose? I heard much over 135 and the front end gets light. I hit 130 at The Ridge in Shelton Washington.

Light...scary light...I seldom exceed 80mph in my car...with that short wheelbase and brick like aerodynamics that SOB starts to dart and lift around 85.... I have done around 140 in both Corvettes and Porsches and they are rock solid stable and very comfortable on the right road.

It is fun but IMHO not safe at high speeds...

[Bernica]

All the more reason to respect the legends that drove the S**t out of these cars all day in racing, and sometimes all night. I can only imagine what a "white knuckle ride" that was back in the day. God Bless them all. They were fearless studs.

[GRUF78]

Skuzzy,

Actually, it was at 24K, 791 KTS IAS. Lots of tailwind that day.

Have done 670 IAS at 100 ft at many airshows. .99 Mach. Plenty fast.

705 KTS IAS many times at <100ft over the ocean.

Pretty good for a "slow " fighter.

GRUFF

[OnyxRider]

Originally Posted by twin turbo

De ja vu thread (sounds better than saying this thread has been done before, lol).

Ah wish you gave the link for the old thread so that i could have posted there.

Good movie Deja vu.

[Cobra #3170]

190 at SAAC 38, Ford GT on the front straight, could have been more but I chicken lifted because of turn one.

[OnyxRider]

Originally Posted by mtrain2000

Didn't Shelby say that at 160mph the Cobra hit the wall aerodynamically, which was the reason for them building the Daytona?

Also, I've read where some of the Cobra's had the fastback hardtop which was supposed to make them more aerodynamic. I wonder how much that helped?

Yeah but I always thought he was speaking on the 289 race cars.

Originally Posted by GRUF78

About 1107 knots ground speed in my F/A-18 A+; about 1273 MPH .

147 in my then, brand new, 1994 Corvette on 103rd St in Jacksonville, FL.

About 155+ in my Cobra on FM 4 here in North TX.

GRUFF

Are you USN?

Ok I wasn't intending to write about supersonic but will below.

Originally Posted by Skuzzy

The fastest I have driven was 198.16 MPH, at a track. It was not in a Cobra though. I soooo wanted to break 200 MPH. Sooo close.

I have been in a Cobra that was traveling over 145 MPH though. Does that count?

Just figure a small degree of error and you were over 200mph!



Well all very great experiences guys. Too many to mention but will go with what are memorable to me.

Late 1970's a "real'' 427SC on Merritt Parkway in Connecticut going through that no mans land straight between Fairfield and Westport. 170+ mph

At LeMans Porsche 917 over 230mp in the straight before the track was altered.

My first visit to the salt flats(Bonneville & dry lake El Mirage) kicked my ass!! I was wondering why my friend told me to take umbrellas(for the sun). The heat and sun will scorch your very soul! The salt will suck your tires down and there use to be loose salt and some unevenness. After two years and a little experience wanted to break the 300mph barrier. This was in early 80's and was just testing the vehicle and hit 253+ in one test run(did not do the return trip). In a timed run never broke 300 but hit close to 260. On return run something started to rattle and slight strange vibration and felt like body was lifting. Took foot off the pedal and coasted down and brought car to trailer area. That **** was crazy.

In my Navy days if you could get access like me Groom Lake has a 30,000 foot runway.

Edwards Air Force Base has a long hard runway and over 7 mile dry lake runway. I had a 512 BB Ferrari which had a twin turbo on it. I have no idea what the top speed was but I ran it hard at Edwards on the long lake runway and can say it was over 200 for a long bit.

Just recently at Cape Kennedy the SLF- Shuttle Launch Facility-was rented for the day and is 15,000 feet of smooth runway with 1000ft. overrun on each end in addition it's over 300 feet wide.

Had a Ford GT, McClaren F1, mystery racer, and a Bugatti test model of the Super Veyron. Not a Super Sport but not a Super Veyron yet. It is about 500 pounds lighter and has 1600bhp compared to 1200bhp. I let my co-pilot go first and it was her first time to break 200mph and she reached it very easy.

On my run with the Bugatti reached 240 and I shut it down. This one has a top speed key that needs to be engaged and gives you a checklist to see if the driver and auto is ready while stationary. The hydraulics lowers the vehicle and at a certain speed the wing and spoiler deploys.

Kept the auto in semi-automatic mode and went through the seven gears. The rear spoiler works as an air brake of sorts and changes its angle when braking. The wing does add a lot of downforce helping to keep it on the road.

Bugatti was solid and reaches high speeds very fast. Have driven many at 170-to 200 with some shaking and all that good stuff that puts hair on your chest.

I joked later on that I needed about 12 seconds and almost third of a mile to stop.

Would love to drive this at Edwards!!!

Hey Gruff I mentioned vehicle and thought someone would post about a speed boat or something and you post your fighter ride.

Rode as an observer on a SR-71 and was told when reached Mach 3. I know we cruised at a good speed for awhile. Not sure what the record is/was.

The original pilots of the (U2)/A-12/SR-71 were called "Roadrunners" and use to get together once a year in Vegas. Some of those stories were wild.



Ok the one with the biggest goes to a friend who rode Suzuki Hayabusa at 238 mph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dynoroom]

Onyx, What car at Bonneville?

[GRUF78]

OXY,

Yes, USN. Well, it wasn't really a fighter "ride" per se, I flew Hornets for 24strait years-it was my daily driver-over 4600 hrs, 3 combat deployments and 423 carrier landings worth.

Great tool for killing people and breaking a lot of ****....great gig....

Now heading to Afghanistan all year to kill them with some other new and interesting "tools"....

GRUFF

[mr0077]

You guys, that's some pretty cool sh*t, makes our "civilian" experiences look pretty lame. Great stories, we're envious!

[trularin]

Nose to nose with BMK.

The speedo said 148.

Here is the picture snaped during the drive.



Tru

[PSB]

1.2 Mach in the backseat of a F-16.

Fastest I ever went in my Cobra was about 125. I think we hit 130 when I got a ride in CSX 3035. Although that car is scary fast, I don't comprehend how Dick Smith did 198mph.

Pete

[ItBites]

Not me, but my boss (Ron Grabe) has spent a bunch of time above 17000 mph. He was pilot on two shuttle flights and commander on two others. The shuttle is really fast!

[Skuzzy]

Originally Posted by GRUF78

Skuzzy,

Actually, it was at 24K, 791 KTS IAS. Lots of tailwind that day.

Have done 670 IAS at 100 ft at many airshows. .99 Mach. Plenty fast.

705 KTS IAS many times at <100ft over the ocean.

Pretty good for a "slow " fighter.

GRUFF

Now that's what I am talking about. I have been in the back seat of a T-38 at some speeds, but nothing like that.

[bonose]

Well,

No Cobra yet so...
Mach 2.06 (1359.7067248 mph) in an F-15,
100 mph in a Dodge Grand Caravan,
and..
145 mph on a Suzuki 1100 Katana.

[CSX3183]

So, let's hear the real skinny, how many Moon Martians did you see at Groom Lake?????????

Originally Posted by OnyxRider

Yeah but I always thought he was speaking on the 289 race cars.





Are you USN?

Ok I wasn't intending to write about supersonic but will below.





Just figure a small degree of error and you were over 200mph!



Well all very great experiences guys. Too many to mention but will go with what are memorable to me.

Late 1970's a "real'' 427SC on Merritt Parkway in Connecticut going through that no mans land straight between Fairfield and Westport. 170+ mph

At LeMans Porsche 917 over 230mp in the straight before the track was altered.

My first visit to the salt flats(Bonneville & dry lake El Mirage) kicked my ass!! I was wondering why my friend told me to take umbrellas(for the sun). The heat and sun will scorch your very soul! The salt will suck your tires down and there use to be loose salt and some unevenness. After two years and a little experience wanted to break the 300mph barrier. This was in early 80's and was just testing the vehicle and hit 253+ in one test run(did not do the return trip). In a timed run never broke 300 but hit close to 260. On return run something started to rattle and slight strange vibration and felt like body was lifting. Took foot off the pedal and coasted down and brought car to trailer area. That **** was crazy.

In my Navy days if you could get access like me Groom Lake has a 30,000 foot runway.

Edwards Air Force Base has a long hard runway and over 7 mile dry lake runway. I had a 512 BB Ferrari which had a twin turbo on it. I have no idea what the top speed was but I ran it hard at Edwards on the long lake runway and can say it was over 200 for a long bit.

Just recently at Cape Kennedy the SLF- Shuttle Launch Facility-was rented for the day and is 15,000 feet of smooth runway with 1000ft. overrun on each end in addition it's over 300 feet wide.

Had a Ford GT, McClaren F1, mystery racer, and a Bugatti test model of the Super Veyron. Not a Super Sport but not a Super Veyron yet. It is about 500 pounds lighter and has 1600bhp compared to 1200bhp. I let my co-pilot go first and it was her first time to break 200mph and she reached it very easy.

On my run with the Bugatti reached 240 and I shut it down. This one has a top speed key that needs to be engaged and gives you a checklist to see if the driver and auto is ready while stationary. The hydraulics lowers the vehicle and at a certain speed the wing and spoiler deploys.

Kept the auto in semi-automatic mode and went through the seven gears. The rear spoiler works as an air brake of sorts and changes its angle when braking. The wing does add a lot of downforce helping to keep it on the road.

Bugatti was solid and reaches high speeds very fast. Have driven many at 170-to 200 with some shaking and all that good stuff that puts hair on your chest.

I joked later on that I needed about 12 seconds and almost third of a mile to stop.

Would love to drive this at Edwards!!!

Hey Gruff I mentioned vehicle and thought someone would post about a speed boat or something and you post your fighter ride.

Rode as an observer on a SR-71 and was told when reached Mach 3. I know we cruised at a good speed for awhile. Not sure what the record is/was.

The original pilots of the (U2)/A-12/SR-71 were called "Roadrunners" and use to get together once a year in Vegas. Some of those stories were wild.



Ok the one with the biggest goes to a friend who rode Suzuki Hayabusa at 238 mph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CSX3183]

Please kill them all !

Originally Posted by GRUF78

OXY,

Yes, USN. Well, it wasn't really a fighter "ride" per se, I flew Hornets for 24strait years-it was my daily driver-over 4600 hrs, 3 combat deployments and 423 carrier landings worth.

Great tool for killing people and breaking a lot of ****....great gig....

Now heading to Afghanistan all year to kill them with some other new and interesting "tools"....

GRUFF

[Zulu]

144mph on VIR back straight in my FF5 cobra. GPS verified and on camera from my buddy behind in his 355 F1 Ferrari. With 351w up front it did not get light, but my mortality did flash through my Brain..... After about 6 laps it stopped flashing ...

And 255 kph in my M3 BMW on autobahn, also GPS ( =159 MPH)

[GRUF78]

3133,

Roger. Thanks how I earn my paycheck.

G

[twin turbo]

100-111 mph for 60+ miles on the winding Colorado river going from Laughlin to Lake Havasu in my twin outboard tunnel hull boat. Man I miss that boat at full song (modified mod vp 2 strokes).
Going fast on the water is a different sensation altogether than land. Passengers would practically piss their pants.
Cheers.