es,
What are the main safety issues Formula 1.
involved in the project? I think other achievements include
Key to safety is keeping the car stable winning at Le Mans with a Jaguar team,
and on the ground. The next issue is if and fi nishing third with Derek Bell in the
anything goes wrong with the parts of the Harrods McLarren. Another favourite was
car, especially the fuel systems. Hydrogen designing the Foggy Petronas World Super
peroxide is a very corrosive fuel, so the Bike. To design a world super bike had
maintenance of that side of it, in terms of always been an ambition of mine. I’m a keen
using it in the car and in refuelling, is very motorcyclist, so to do that, at that level, was
important. Safety systems are also an issue, good fun.
for example, safety monitoring systems and There have been many projects but I
how we stop the car. suppose the last is the most vivid and that
was the Dieselmax project. There was a
As part of the FIA (Fédération great sense of achievement in doing that
Internationale de l’Automobile) and you get a feeling that it somehow lives
rules, the car has to make two forever. Even if someone else takes the
passes through the timing trap record, that record was ours and it will
within the period of an hour. Will always be ours because we did it at that
this be a problem? time and we didn’t just go faster, we blew
That is a challenge as well. I’ve got an it away. The previous record was 235mph
engineer who worked with me on and we achieved 350mph, so we blew the
Dieselmax, Annie Berrisford, working on record apart.
the project. She is compiling a sequence of
engineering events to cover how the car What advice would you give
operates in the build up to the run and anyone who would like to follow
throughout the run and from that we will in your footsteps?
John was Chief Designer on the
distill in what order we service the car to I followed my heart, I suppose. I always
JCB Dieselmax Car
prepare it for the return run. She’s doing say this to people and most people are
that against an estimated time for each surprised but I don’t think I ever made a thing’s for sure – I have always wanted to be
piece of work and we’re just about inside conscious career decision. I just followed creative. I think engineering, particularly, is a
the hour at the moment. my opportunities and attacked everything great career to be creative in because you
with a bit of passion. can have a go at anything and there are very
Having worked on many racing I think it’s what were here for – to create few limitations because the basic training
and concept cars, what has been and make, and make better, so that’s what equips you to do just about anything that
your favourite project and why? motivates me – it’s that passion to be you want to.
Well there’s several really because most of creative and it doesn’t matter how you do In terms of being creative, I think that if I
the projects I’ve done, I can always say that it. Whether you’re an artist or you’re an hadn’t become an engineer, there is a very
they’ve been an ambition of mine to do. The engineer, it’s the same thing. You’re satisfying good chance I may have become a chef
Dieselmax project gave me a huge sense of that need. – but a posh chef. It’s about being given a
achievement – to get a world speed record With me, because of my early life, I set of ingredients and seeing what you can
is quite special. In fact, I’d say it’s much more happened to end up being an engineer but make out of them. That’s what you get with
satisfying and there is a greater sense of I could have just as easily been a musician engineering, you’re given a set of physical
achievement in doing that than winning in or an artist or anything really. But one laws and it’s how you apply them.
Engineering Designer July/August 2009
27
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36