For two and a half years a team of highly skilled technicians have worked hard towards the time when the roar of the twin Rolls-Royce Spey engines would be heard together in the car for the first time. That moment is almost upon us!
The massive spaceframe is finished, the enormously complex wiring loom for the electrical systems has been fitted, the hydraulic piping, accumulators and valves have been installed, and finally the two immensely powerful afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines have been lifted carefully into place. That job alone was quite a spectacle, with the superb new Merlo forklift effortlessly lifting the engines one at a time into position so that they could be bolted into their mountings and the control systems connected.
Completing Thrust has been a huge challenge - current World Land Speed Record-holder Richard Noble will tell you of the 'Finishing Syndrome' where each job is dependent on another being completed. Over the last few weeks all the parts waiting to go into the car have been installed and connected up to their respective systems. The suspension arms and 'runway' wheels with their Lightning-fighter tyres have been added, the last of the body panels have been bonded and rivetted to the frame, and the radio system that driver Andy Green will use to talk to the Pit Station has been checked. As one component has been added, so it has been possible to fit another, and so on until everything is finally in place.
The support for ThrustSSC has not been neglected either. The satellite link for telephone, fax and Internet communication between the deserts and the UK is ready for use. The Operations Trailer has been fitted out and looks stunning in its fresh yellow paint and 'ThrustSSC' logos with 'World Land Speed Record Challenge' across the rear. The radio equipment that driver Andy Green will use to communicate with the Pit Station has been tested. The Supacat support vehicles are ready to prepare the supersonic car for each run. Most important of all, the specially designed and built trailer - so wide that it needs a police escort and has been described by Richard Noble as "as large as an aircraft carrier" - is standing by to transport the car to DTEO Boscombe Down for the 'tie-down' or Installed Engine Tests.
The tests will begin by 'dry running' the engines - spinning the turbines on the starters with the fuel and ignition off to ensure that all is well. Next the fuel systems will be brought into action, but with the ignition still off. Finally the ignition will be used to light the engines, and they will turn under their own power in the car for the first time. As the engines are run up to speed, all the complex systems to control and monitor the car's performance will be tested.
Finally, with ThrustSSC firmly secured against the force of the two engines, the power from the Speys will be gradually increased until they are running on full reheat and developing their maximum power of up to 50,000lbs of thrust. The noise levels from each Spey alone will be a (literally) deafening 120 decibels as the cones of the re-heat flames extend from the rear of the engines.
Successful completion of the Installed Engine Tests is crucial before the team can embark on the next stage of Thrust SSC's challenge to set the first supersonic World Land Speed Record - the low-speed test runs on the runway at DRA, Farnborough (it should be pointed out that 'low speed' in ThrustSSC's case covers anything up to 200mph!). Once the team is happy with the car's performance on the runway, then will come the departure to Jordan in the enormous HeavyLift-VolgaDnepr Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft.
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