The successful test firing of the rocket for the Bloodhound supersonic car project on 3rd October was also a test of a vital component developed by the University of Sheffield AMRC with Boeing - the thrust ring that will attach the rocket to the car.

"The rocket slides into the car body," says Phil Spiers, head of the AMRC Advanced Structural Testing Centre. "The thrust ring is the part of the car that the rocket attaches to. When the rocket fires, the force it generates pushes back into the car through the thrust ring.

"The big challenge for the Bloodhound team is to keep the centre of pressure from the rocket aligned with the axis of the car. Any off-centre forces would push the car off line, making Andy Green's job even more difficult."

Spiers and his team of specialist engineers at the AMRC with Boeing calibrated the aluminium thrust ring used in the test firing.

The thrust ring features eight strain gauge bridges at various points around its circumference. Each of these is made up of fine wires that change resistance as the metal stretches under the stresses imparted by the rocket. That change in length causes a change in output voltage from the bridge, which can be precisely measured. This helps the Bloodhound engineers to fully understand the force and effects of the rocket thrust.

"What we've done is test the complete thrust ring assembly with a known load, and recorded the output from the bridges. We did this at the centre of the ring, and also off-centre to pick up the difference in side-to-side loading - this shows that if the rocket's centre of pressure does move, we can detect this," explains Spiers. "It wasn't a perfect calibration as there is some flexibility in the support structure. It's particularly difficult to calibrate accurately, but we have done it."

A steel ring will be used in later tests as the rocket is brought up to full thrust levels - this will be manufactured and calibrated at the AMRC with Boeing.

The AMRC team were present at the rocket firing, taking the Mantra lorry to the test site in Cornwall to help promote advanced manufacturing research to the attending press.

The thrust ring performed to plan and survived the test, collecting a wealth of data on the rocket's performance.

Spiers and the AMRC test team have also worked with partner company Vibrant NDT on non-destructive evaluation of the carbon brake disks being considered for the Bloodhound car, and carried out friction/stiction testing of front suspension joints.

The world-leading machining group at the AMRC with Boeing is also working on manufacturing parts for the Bloodhound project. Key components produced for the car include gearbox components which mate with the Cosworth auxiliary power unit - these have been milled from aluminium on the MAG Cincinnati FTV5 2500 vertical machining centre.

The AMRC group of centres is producing other components, including the car's rear sub-frame - a complex task now underway using the large-scale machining capabilities of the Nuclear AMRC and the specialist services of member companies. Hexagon Metrology is collaborating on CMM inspection, while Alcoa is providing the material.

The Bloodhound project provides a high-profile showcase for AMRC's world-leading capabilities in applied manufacturing innovation. Its aim to enthuse a new generation about engineering also matches AMRC's ambition to revivify UK manufacturing. Several of AMRC's key engineers were originally inspired by Richard Noble's earlier projects.

"I was 13 years old when Richard Noble brought the land speed record back to the UK," says Spiers. "When the Bloodhound project was formed, I was keen to be involved and trained as a STEM ambassador to help spread the message about the benefit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics - I firmly believe that without a good skills base and future engineers, the UK will not be able to compete."