The fast and the studious: The 590kmph school bus
It is the traditional yellow American school bus, except this one has been fitted with the engine from a Phantom fighter jet to give it a top speed of 590 kmph and neck-snapping acceleration.
Built and driven by adrenalin-junkie Paul Stender and his team at Indy Boys Inc. in Indianapolis, USA, the flame-painted bus is custom made from a mix of hand-crafted materials and advanced aircraft components.
oh, and it's about 170 kmph faster than a Bugatti Veyron. Interested?
Fact File
Name: The School Time Jet-Powered School Bus
Engine: 42,000 horse power General Electric motor from an F4 Phantom jet.
Height: 10 feet
Length: 35 feet
Seating capacity: 3
Top speed: 590 kmph
Fuel consumption: 1420 litres per kilometer
Tailing this bus? Not a good idea!
Despite its size, this school bus seats only three passengers. And sadly, it won't be taking any kids to school in record time. One reason: The dragster can fire 75-foot flames behind it.
A jet-bus with a message
Paul Stender, the creator and the driver, says he built the bus for two reasons, the first to entertain people because "come on, it's a jet bus!".
The second, he says, is to keep kids off drugs. The bus features the slogan "Jets are hot, drugs are not" on its side panels.
Building the world's fastest bus
Stender bought 'The School Time' as an old bus. But the man, whose mechanical skills are wholly self-taught, stripped the entire bus and completely rebuilt it.
This is because, Stender says, the original bus could not have withstood the speeds the bus would eventually reach.
He says he kept only 5 per cent of the original bus. "The door handle and the door are original," he says.
The many moods of 'The School Time'
Paul Stender makes his way to his jet-powered bus
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The 42,000 horse power GE engine from an F4 Phantom sitting at the back of the bus