Comment Re:Budweiser Rocket. (Score 1) 405
Actually the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile is the official speed record certifying bodies - it's a French organisation. There's one for the motorbikes too which is also French. Last time I checked, both most certainly aren't British
As for the Budweiser rocket car, even the USAF say it wasn't an official sanction of the speed either and that it was done by USAF personnel in their personal time and the speed that they actually recorded was something like 35mph! I think it was from a passing car rather than the rocket car itself that they measured but if they made this kind of a mistake, I wouldn't take their claims seriously. Eventually some time later after the car was driven (I think it was next day) the speed was actually calculated from the accelerometer data, which the team did not make public - so basically the Budweiser rocket car's team have claimed that they've broken the speed of sound barrier, but have no data to back it up but their words.
But the major evidence against the Budweiser rocket car's claim was the lack of a sonic boom - this wasn't heard and yes a car breaking the sound barrier will create one. The Thrust SSC did create a sonic boom that was heard over a very wide area.