Mach 1 Club Gold card member, Robin Sharman, travelled to Farnborough on Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 1996 for one of the Gold Members' special invitation days to see how Thrust SSC's testing is proceding. For the benefit of Club members who couldn't make it, Robin has recorded his impressions for us ....
Should I take the motorbike, or would it be wiser to go by car in view of the forecast showers? That was the limit of my decision-making on Monday 26 August, the day that I took young Joe to see The Very Fast Lady. For the past few weeks Joe had been fretting over whether or not he would be able to see his dream car before the summer holidays were over. "Dad," he seemed to say every day "do you think I'll ever get to see Thrust?" I could understand his concern - we'd been waiting, for ever it seemed, for the announcement that the runway trials at Farnborough were on. But now, at last, the day had arrived. I wheeled Marilyn the MotoGuzzi out of the garage at 10 o'clock and we left home in bright sunshine with a days supply of victuals, and burned rubber up the A3M, arriving at Data Sciences just before 10.45. As Marilyn swung into the car park the first thing we saw was a long queue of eager faces snaking around the cars. At the head of the queue was a table where Robin Richardson and his wife Sue were checking off names and allocating bums to seats on the coach. Everyone was talking about Thrust, the chances of rain, how far they'd driven and what time they woke up - the car park was buzzing with excitement as we set off towards DRA main gate to board the coach which would take us to Q Shed.
Have you noticed how time seems to stretch when you're looking forward to something special? This was no exception - I was convinced that it had taken at least an hour to travel from Data Sciences to Q Shed, but here we were at last, and it was only just a little after 11.15. As we poured off the coach, Joe disappeared like a rat up a drainpipe, into the rather shabby looking shed. I followed at a more respectable pace, past a very impressive bright yellow articulated lorry emblazoned with Thrust SSC logos and the names of major corporate sponsors, through a narrow opening in the shed doors, into the cavernous interior . . . and there she was!
A huge black and silver amazon, stripped of most of her outer skin and immodestly revealing her inner parts for all to see. From her needle-like pitot head through to her blunt, chopped-off fin, she oozed power and speed. From that moment I was convinced - sheer and awesome, subtle and understated all at once, she took my breath away. Who could look at her and doubt even for a moment that she would succeed.
The dedicated team of engineers crawled over and under her, caressing and cajoling her to behave. The shed was alive with noise - club members chattering to each other, spanners clanging against pipes, coins jingling across the merchandise counter. The air was full of smells, some familiar, some strange - AVCAT, the Very Fast Lady's staple diet - WD40 and cellulose paints, her make-up - resin from her bellchamber mould. It is said that of all the human senses, smell is the most evocative. I was certainly taken back to my days in the Fleet Air Arm. The sights, sounds and smells of the hangar are things that will always tingle my spine and thrill my senses. After a short time, Robin Richardson called us all together and oulined the day ahead - we were left in no doubt that it was very much a working day and that anything could happen! Richard Noble then updated us on the Project progress, Pete Ross explained some of the engineering difficulties that the team are experiencing, and then Ron Ayers answered our questions on design issues. The hope was that we would see Very Fast Lady performing under her own power before the day was done.
The hours passed, the team worked on one problem after another, the Club members talked, looked, walked, bought, hunted autographs, photographed, ate sandwiches, drank tea, watched the showers . . . and then did it all again . . . and again! Throughout the day Richard and Robin kept us informed and updated, but by 4 o'clock we were beginning to realise that things were not going as well as we'd hoped for. Then at last, after all leaks had been stopped, Very Fast Lady was moved carefully and oh-so-slowly out of the southern end of Q shed and onto the taxiway. It was only at this stage that we realised just how low-slung she is . . . it took a full hour to manoeuvre her over the uneven tarmac, using sheets of wood under her wheels to give more ground clearance to the nose section.
Once she was clear and on level ground she was towed to the runway
where she was surrounded by enough fire and ambulance vehicles to
clear up after a major disaster. We followed eagerly and crowded
forward in anticipation. Once again, the team climbed and crawled all
over her for some 40 minutes, checking and re-checking that nothing
was amiss. At about 6.00, we heard the unmistakeable rising whine of
the first Spey as it lumbered into life, igniters cracking and then
the loud insistent roar of fuel burning in the chamber - she was
awake!
More checks, and then some more checks, and then three
attempts to start the second Spey - wow - two huge engines running and
now it could only be a matter of minutes before we would see what we
had all been waiting for. The Lady was ready to go, straining against
her brakes. The team were still crawling over and under her - surely
these were just final checks and then she'd be off down the runway.
As we watched with mounting excitement the man on the ladder shook his
head, crossed his arms in a negative sign and the 2 mighty Speys were
shut down.
The disappointment was overpowering - Joe's shoulders
slumped and his eyes filled with frustration and anger. Richard
walked back wearing a brave smile and told us what had happened - more
hydraulic problems, nothing serious - they never are if caught early -
but enough to prevent any more chances of a run that day.
We walked in the breezy evening air back to Q shed, the team still pawing busily over our heroine as she sat immobile on the runway. As we walked, we talked - about the day, what we had seen, what we had been part of. Thrust SSC is a world beater, a unique, incredible and wonderful machine, but more than that, she is a Lady, and will not be rushed. The more we talked the more we began to realise that we were privileged to have been there on 26 August 1996. Our Lady made her debut, and every head turned. The day was a huge success, from the outstanding organisational efforts of Robin Richardson to the dedicated work of the team. As for Joe, he soon got over his initial disappointment and I am now under strict orders to download all information as it breaks and send it to him at school. And me? Well I hope this report tells you what I feel. As for the rest of you, who knows, but I suspect you wouldn't have bothered to go if you didn't feel much the same as Joe and me.
Bearing a sleepy young man on the pillion and a contented old Rocker in front of him, Marilyn weaved easily out of Farnborough and took us safely home to Waterlooville. . . funny thing though - she doesn't seem to go quite so fast now!
Thanks to Robin for sharing his thoughts - despite the weather and Thrust SSC's misbehaving hydraulics, it's clear that the Gold members had a good day.
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