Definition of Acceleration

[Bertram38]

There are no rockets or airplanes built by any government in the world that can accelerate from a standing start as fast as a Top Fuel Dragster or Funny Car!





DEFINITION OF ACCELERATION

One top fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows of stock cars at the Daytona 500.


It takes just 15/100ths of a second for all 6,000+ horsepower of an NHRA Top Fuel dragster engine to reach the rear wheels.


Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced.


A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to drive the dragster's supercharger.


With 3,000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form before ignition.


Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full throttle.


At the stoichiometric (stoichiometry: methodology and technology by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions are determined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture of nitro methane, the flame front temperature measures 7,050 deg F.


Nitro methane burns yellow... The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.


Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.


Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression, plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 deg F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.


If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.


In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph (well before half-track), the launch acceleration approaches 8G's.


Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence.


Top fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light! Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load.


The redline is actually quite high at 9,500 rpm.


Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimate $1,000.00 per second.


The current top fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.428 seconds for the quarter mile (11/12/06, Tony Schumacher, at Pomona , CA ). The top speed record is 336.15 mph as measured over the last 66' of the run (05/25/05 Tony Schumacher, at Hebron , OH ).


Putting all of this into perspective:


You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter 'twin-turbo' powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a top fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and pass the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment.


The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him.


Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1,320 foot long race course.


...... and that my friend, is ACCELERATION!

[old377guy]

well said and some very incredible facts

[HateTank]

I Love Top Fuel!!!

[rschap1]

I have that saved!
First got it 4 or 5 years ago.
AMAZING!!!

[imco offshore]

You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter 'twin-turbo' powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a top fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and pass the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment.


The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him.


Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1,320 foot long race course.


...... and that my friend, is ACCELERATION


I think we should send this to MYTH BUSTERS and ask them to do it ,?that would be cool to see

[drpete3]

Sweet post and YES to myth busters

[T2x]

I agree on the airplane part...but i believe there are a number of rockets that can out accelerate a Top Fuel dragster.

[Davidmnc]

Top Fuel ROCKS!!!!!

[Davidmnc]

Put them 4 wide, and it goes from awesome to out phucking standing!!!!!

[mdkeywest]

I agree on the airplane part...but i believe there are a number of rockets that can out accelerate a Top Fuel dragster.

You crack me up . You HAVE to correct every in-justice you feel is made on what is produced as fact .

bad part is you are usually right .

[Griswald]

My eyes are burning just thinking about it

[Pete B]

A Top Fuel Hydro Is Not really That slow either considering 2 small Props move them!







7000 HP!!!

[gcarter]

Back in the '60's, the Sprint anti missle missle that was pretty well developed before it was cancelled to appease the Russians, would accerate at over 100 G's....for about as long as the dragster runs!
That's 0-10,000 MPH in 4 seconds!

[DCP21]

Damn. . . . . . got my attention, My ADHD never kicked in, why dont they put stuff on the news to keep my attention like that. Thanks that put things into perspective

[whatboat]

Charlotte needs a top fuel hydro pond !!!

Maybe just flood one of the housing developments complaining about loud noise next to the drag strip

[Bertram38]

Back in the day when i was a young pup, I ran Pro stock. I was pinching piss @ 7.9 seconds in a 1/4 mile. Scared the hell out of me. The shoot was also a sick G-force. Can actually suck your eye balls out of your head.

[HateTank]

Joe Amato had to quit racing because of the negative G's effect on his eyes over the years..

[Bertram38]

back to the top where it belongs. TOP FUEL

[T2x]

You crack me up . You HAVE to correct every in-justice you feel is made on what is produced as fact .

bad part is you are usually right .

I usually crack me up too.........

[T2x]

Back in the '60's, the Sprint anti missle missle that was pretty well developed before it was cancelled to appease the Russians, would accerate at over 100 G's....for about as long as the dragster runs!
That's 0-10,000 MPH in 4 seconds!

Told ya so....