Thrust Land Speed Record Cars

---

The Black Rock Campaign, America, Autumn 1997

The ThrustSSC Team arrived on the Black Rock Desert in good shape and quickly set up camp. Spirit of America - the competing team - were already on site and set up. The race to the sound barrier had begun!

ThrustSSC or Thrust supersonic car, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss.

The car was driven by Royal Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Andy Green in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, United States. The ThrustSSC is the first car to use two turbojets from a Rolls-Royce Spey 202s from the Phantom fighter, each producing 20,000 pounds of thrust.

The car is 16.5 m (54 ft) long, 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and weighs 10 tonnes. The twin engines developed a net thrust of 223 kN (50,000 lbf), a power output of 110,000 bhp. The configuration of the car resulted in 2 fixed front wheels, with 2 narrowly placed off-set steering rear wheels.

After the record was set, the World Motor Sport Council released the following message:
The World Motor Sport Council homologated the new world land speed records set by the team ThrustSSC of Richard Noble, driver Andy Green, on 15 October 1997 at Black Rock Desert, Nevada (USA). This is the first time in history that a land vehicle has exceeded the speed of sound. The new records are as follows: Flying mile 1227.986 km/h (763.035 mph) Flying kilometer 1223.657 km/h (760.343 mph)

In setting the record, the sound barrier was broken in both the north and south runs.

ThrustSSC 1979
The ThrustSSC was designed to set the first supersonic World Land Speed Record. Designed with a capability of reaching 850mph. It is the most powerful car ever built
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

Descriptive Poster For This Car - JPG file

Descriptive Poster For This Car - JPG file

ThrustSSC 1979
Rolls-Royce Spey 202s Jet engines from the Phantom fighter, each producing 20,000 pounds of thrust.
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
Note the rear-steering wheel within the very narrow rear section of the body. The burned off paint on the side highlights the reason for the rear wheel spacing being very narrow. Also note that the 2 rear wheels are off-set with one moved forward from the other
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
The highlight of the museum, in my opinion, was the simulator of the ThrustSSC. This is a shot of the screen before the car was moving.
For the record run there was a camera set behind the driver/pilot Andy Green, that recorded what Andy seen out the front windscreen and it also recorded what was being displayed on the dash panel. Note the steering yoke in the center screen with no hands on it.
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
This simulator provides a most realistic experience as to what it may have been like as a passenger during the actual run. Note the 'banking angle' as Andy fights to keep the Thrust on the long narrow white line which can be seen out the window on the left side of the car.

The dash read-out shows 700 MPH as the car moves 4.6 Miles down track
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
At 1 minute into the run and 5.1 miles down track the Thrust has now crossed the 'line' and is left of it as Andy fights the car at 712 MPH
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
At 1.1 minutes and 5.6 miles the Thrust is traveling 726 MPH and Andy has it lined up on the white line
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
6.5 miles into the run and 763 MPH; Andy still had the Thrust on the line and the car was level.
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
Run over and the Thrust decelerating back down to 758 MPH crossing the lake bed at the 7.7 mile mark with the car once again drifting to the right of the line.
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

ThrustSSC 1979
The Thrust in all its glory after breaking the Unlimited World Land Speed Record and the Sound Barrier over in the US.
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

Thrust2 1983
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

Thrust2 1983
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

Thrust2 1983
Coventry Transport Museum 2014
Coventry,UK

BACK TO TOP