At the top you can just see the 800mph
Spedometer.
The removable steering wheel is on upside down to
make access easier. The buttons are for the parachutes. Notice the
starwars "May the force be with you" badge on the upper left. The
gold rods on each side steer the front wheel just behind the driver.
The sprint car steering box is just below, hydraulic pressure is
provided by a Chevy power steering pump attached to the jet engine.
There is a tiny speedvision camera perched on the steering box. Below
that is a round knob that I think is for the fuel shut off. Craig
Breedlove's legs go just above the saddle mounts for the steering
box. There are pedals down there somewhere...
Thrust
SSC, the current supersonic record holder. 763.035 mph!
Black Rock Desert, NV Oct 15, 1997
This photo was taken about a half hour after the
British team Thrust SSC (super sonic car) set the first official
supersonic record by running a distance of a measured mile two ways
in under one hour.
Spirit of America at Bonneville Salt Flats
Wendover ,Utah.
(me again)
I went to Bonneville to see the Spirit Of America
perform it's test runs. I waited 5 days and had to leave without
seeing it run.
I hung around and saw the big swerve marks Craig
breedlove left with SOA when he popped the chute at over 300mph! They
went on for over a mile!
It was later found (at Black Rock Desert) the
chute pods under the car were trapping air pressure under the car.
Not only disturbing the parachute, but lifting the car!
The following year they moved the parachutes to
the top of the car.
AUTOGHRAPH
Here is Andy Green right , me left, autographing
a photo of Thrust SSC, (super sonic car) the day he broke the sound
barrier.
It was inside and evening, causing the photo to
blur. Miner's club Gerlach NV.
A shot of the front of Thrust SSC, just
after breaking the sound barrier.
Background
Plans were unveiled in June 1994 that G Force would have a major
role to play in the design and manufacture of the Thrust SSC (Super
Sonic Car), Richard Noble's Land Speed record attempt car.
Sponsorship from Castrol provided much of the funding for
research and development of the 700mph vehicle. Powered by jet
engines the super sonic car could accelerate to 600mph in just 16
seconds.
The Records
Location: Nevada Desert.
On Thursday September 25th 1997 Thrust SSC with driver Andy Green
at the helm, broke the Land speed record. The new world record was
set initially at 714.14 mph. Two days later they they attained their
objective - reaching Mach 1.020 to set a two-way average of
763.035mph. An historic World First had been achieved!
The full story info and pictures can be found at the ThrustSSC
web site
http://www.thrustssc.com
Technical Spec
Chassis:
Welded T45 tubular steel space frame
Body Shell:
Aluminium Carbon Fibre and Titanium
Engines:
Two Rolls Royce Spey 205s
Steering:
Worm drives acting on the rear wheels
Wheels:
Four, Solid forged Aluminium
Rear Arranged in Staggered formation
Length:
54ft (16.46 Metres)
Width:
12ft (3.65 Metres)
Weight:
7 Tons (7.11 Tonnes)Primary
Braking System:
At 650mph (1045kph) Single 7ft 6in (2.28metres) Irvin
Parachute
At 400mph (645kph) Irvin ParachutesSecondary Braking SystemFront
One pair of 17in (432mm) carbon disks. Two piston callipers acting on
each wheel.
Rear Single 17in (432mm) carbon discs. Two piston callipers
acting on each wheel.
Data Engine output 1000,00hp (75Mw) at maximum speedSpeed in
excess of 850mph (1370kph). Acceleration 0-600mph (0-965kph) in 16
secondsLubricationCastrol synthetic lubricants, brake fluids,
hydraulic fluids and greases.
SPEEDING TICKET!
I'm afraid Andy Green got a speeding ticket while
visiting the USA!
This
is a photo of Craig Breedlove waiting for Thrust SSC to run. As it
turned out Thrust SSC broke the sound barrier that day and set an
official supersonic land speed record.
His response to the record run was to vow
to go 800 mph in Spirit Of America, and take the Land Speed Record
back to America!
The
Cockpit of Spirit Of America
Thrust
SSC, the current supersonic record holder. 763.035 mph!
AUTOGHRAPH
THRUST
SSC
This
is a photo of Craig Breedlove waiting for Thrust SSC to run. As it
turned out Thrust SSC broke the sound barrier that day and set an
official supersonic land speed record.