Until recently, the phrase “world at one’s fingertips” was merely a cliché. Google Earth technology, however, has turned the phrase into a challenge for individuals and businesses alike.
Pencil-shaped, the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car aims to rewrite history in the summer of 2015. At that time, the car will attempt to reach a land speed of 1,000 mph—easily exceeding the world land speed record of 763 mph, set by its predecessor Thrust SSC on Oct. 15, 1997.
Great advances have been made in computational fluid dynamics and flight-simulation programs. Yet, when it comes to aircraft and missile designs, no amount of modeling can replace real-world testing using wind tunnels.