Sunday - 11th August 1996 - 0130hrs. The write-up of Saturdays successful engine tests has finally been finished and uploaded to the Web Site. The mailing lists have been notified of the update - you grab a quick shower, set the alarm for 0700hrs and crash out.

The clock-radio wakes you with reports of disaster on the railways, politicians giving up politics, and mothers expecting octuplets. Back through the shower, grab two slices of toast and a mug of scalding black coffee - you’re forgotten to get some milk again - into the car and off to Q Shed for the next stage in the engine tests.

It is heaving down with rain when you arrive - but so it was on Saturday, and it cleared up in the afternoon, so the team gets down to other essential jobs while we wait for it to clear. The engine team has checked the car out overnight - making sure the pipework, fuel system, start system, and engine mountings are all OK. The car has been prepared for today’s attempt to get the right-hand engine running - only the weather is in the way. You check the weather forecast on Teletext and the Internet to make sure it will clear.

(ThrustSSC protected from the rain by tarpaulins. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

The rain finally stops, and with the ever-enthusiastic station fire-brigade standing by again, ThrustSSC is towed out of Q Shed and back onto the ‘short’ runway. The Supacats are positioned as anchors... and the rain starts. Tarpaulins are protecting the delicate electronics as everyone waits for the light shower to pass - this is summer in England after all. You protect your own camera and the valuable Canon digital camera for Internet and Press Pack photographs under your coat.

(Andy Green climbs aboard. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

The rain passes, Andy Green climbs into the cockpit, and the team go for a ‘dry spin’ on the right-hand engine - to check all is well before fuel can be introduced. The test is fine, but another shower begins and the tarpaulins go back on. Twenty minutes later it clears, and another dry spin on the right engine goes well, apart from the engine spinning 3% slower than usual due to low pressure from the air starter. Next step is to start the left-hand engine. It catches well - Andy Green reports that the ignition is instantaneous and the wind up is good. The engine starts to self-sustain, settling down at 55% of maximum revolutions which is the normal ‘idle’ setting. The engine team are satisfied to find all temperatures are good.

(Both Speys under power. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

Next they attempt to start the right-hand engine, and it fires first time. It winds up well, taking a couple of minutes for temperature and revolutions to stabilise. Both engines are now running at idle - an important check of the fuel system. Steve Wiltshire is pleased: "Both engines matched at 55%", he reports - they are both putting out the same power. "Now we are preparing for the high-powered engine runs."

(Protective oil burns off the right-hand engine. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

Andy is pleased with the active noise reduction in his helmet, finding it almost silent in the cockpit - so much so that he can easily hear the crew talking to him. Some smoke drifts into the cockpit as inhibitor oil is burned off the outside of the right engine, while the car rocks gently from side to side from the effect of the Speys.

(Fire crews and Richard Noble standing by. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

The engines are shut down, the fire-tenders return to their station, and Thrust SSC is pulled back into its home in Q Shed. The team is pleased with the day’s work: Steve is even happier than on Saturday evening: "I’m very pleased now!" he says. "I’m very happy both engines are now stable and operating well. I’m looking forward to the high-powered tests."

(Ron Ayers, Richard Noble and Andy Green debrief. Photo: Jeremy Davey)

Andy is also very happy: "It’s lovely to hear Spey engines running for the first time in 4 years!" he says, "Shutdown check and wind-down times were all perfect, too. It’s an excellent set of results preparing for the high-power engine runs. I can’t wait to start increasing the throttle and run the ‘burners up."

Meanwhile you start the process of reporting the test on the Internet - you have 160 photographs to unload from the digital camera, to sift through, throwing away the bad ones and working out which ones you want to use in the Web Site reports and Press Pack. Everyone wants to see the photos - including the firemen who want copies of the photos of themselves on diskette. You check your facts with the team then start writing the report as another storm starts - word soon comes through that it is so bad that Heathrow have stopped all flights! It’s going to be another long night....

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