For the first time since 1991, November saw the Al Jafr desert in Jordan hit by major thunderstorms and floods forcing the team to abandon their series of shakedown runs. Initial runs of 240mph and 331mph highlighted some 'shimmy' problems with the rear wheels that necessitated engineering changes. Pulling out all the stops as usual, the designers, engineers, suppliers and sponsors produced the parts in record time and flew them to Al Jafr. While being fitted to the car, the area around Jafr experienced the first of a number of rain showers which eventually turned into full blown floods that quickly turned the carefully cleared surface to porridge before it disappeared under water. With weeks of work washed away, there was no option but to return to the UK and plan for 1997. Here is Richard Noble's personal update to you.
Thank you so much for your support and interest in the Thrust SSC project. Obviously, we are pretty upset about being washed out of Jafr by the first flooding since 1991, but as one sponsor put it - 'you've had your share of bad luck, now let's get on with 1997!' So, the plan is simple - back to Al Jafr to finish the job there and then, if the Bureau of Land Management will have us, on to Black Rock for August/September.
In fact, if we look back over 1996, what has been achieved is considerable. Thrust SSC was completed (75,000 man hours of build), the entire team and 75 tonnes of equipment moved to Al Jafr and over 100 miles of desert course prepared - sun tanned Mach 1 Club members with sore backs will testify to the latter! As you will have heard, we had steering problems, but the fix had been sorted; it's just that the weather broke and the desert was flooded. The remainder of Thrust SSC has proved very reliable and trouble free, thank goodness.
No time has been wasted since we've been back - new premises have been sorted at Farnborough which still gives us plenty of space and for the first time, some decent offices. This means that at last we can now bring everyone under one roof, including the Mach 1 Club, which has its own office. We've also brought in an additional operating team for the club which continues to be run on an unpaid volunteer basis. The team is Nick Chapman, Sara Cook, Neal Fletcher, John Lovatt, Sally Noble and Robin Richardson. Please continue to write to us at the existing address (PO Box 77, Hampton, Middx, TW12 2XN) as the club mail will be streamed via that address.
Now back to what we have to do. Jafr will be fine for running again in March, so we have to be ready to get back there as soon as possible since there is quite a bit of work to do on the car, including getting it painted, and of course we have to build the funding yet again from existing and new sponsors. This year, we also intend to integrate the Mach 1 Club much more closely with the mainstream project and this will include some operational opportunities for Jordan and the USA. Elsewhere in this Bulletin you will find details of a new series of lectures at Farnborough and we will be providing new opportunities as soon as we can offer them.
This leads me on to the inevitable subject of money. The project financing has always been an incredibly tough battle with the project advancing at 100% per annum. Thanks to a couple of much needed deals just before Jordan, the project is financed 80% by sponsors and 20% by merchandise sales and club memberships. The project is not a charity and there are no donations and deliberately, no lottery or tobacco funding. The project thus exists by its own trading ability and lives from honest earnings, there are no hand outs. In recognition of the major contribution made by each one of you, the Mach 1 Club has its logo on the nose of Thrust SSC.
The project was originally launched in 1994 as a two year programme and on that basis we offered Mach 1 Club membership at £10 for the life of the project. We have produced and mailed six editions of Mach 1 News along with a similar number of Project Bulletins over the last two years, so bearing in mind that the VAT people take £1.75 for each membership, I hope you believe that you've had good value for your £8.25. We now have to build the finances for 1997, so for all new members we are going to raise the membership fee to £15 for the life of the project. The membership agreement with you still stands, but we would be grateful for financial help from all those members who joined in 1994 and 1995. So, with the exception of Gold Card members who have already contributed £60 each, we are therefore asking you for a Voluntary Membership Supplement of £10 which will go towards our 1997 campaign. In return, we will publish a role of honour for all those who decide to go for the 1997 Membership Supplement in the next Newsletter and on our Internet site where accesses now total over 5 million.
For those with access to the Internet who were getting used to seeing daily updates while the attempts were underway, don't worry if you haven't seen many changes since the floods. Jeremy Davey hasn't dropped off his perch it's just that all the computer equipment was locked up in the pit trailer waiting for a free slot in the Antonov's busy schedule. After Christmas it will be business as usual once more.
Well, 1997 is to be The Year and it couldn't be more appropriate since October 14 will be the 50th anniversary of Chuck Yeager's first supersonic flight in the Bell X-1. Rosco McGlashan will open things up with runs at Lake Gairdner in January and February while we aim to make Jafr in March. Craig Breedlove is rebuilding and wants to be back at Black Rock in July. Where are you going to be? Thanks for all you help and very best wishes for 1997.
We know that you are always hungry for more information and that one of the most popular elements of Mach 1 Club membership is the ability to hear things first hand from the team. Therefore, we are organising another series of lectures at Farnborough to give you and a guest the chance to find out more about what went on in Jordan and what the plans for the coming year are. These will take place at our new premises sponsored by British Aerospace at Farnborough on Sundays in January, February and early March. We urge you to book for one or more events depending on your particular area of interest since they are bound to be popular. We have been especially lucky to secure the services of acclaimed motoring journalist David Tremayne for a special lecture tracing the history of the Land Speed Record. A former executive editor of both Motoring News and Motor Sport, David is one of the leading authorities on the subject and a regular contributor to films and books about record breaking.
You'll be delighted to know that at one of the events we will also be making the draw for the 'Be a Team Member for a Week competition' and in order to guarantee seeing some action this year, the lucky winner will travel to Jordan to see how the car performs. It will also be a chance to experience a very different and fascinating culture - don't forget that the fabulous ancient city of Petra is only just over an hour away. But that's not all. Those of you keen to augment your collections of LSR memorabilia will be able to take part in an auction where you can exchange all those useless five pound notes that arrived as Christmas presents for a whole host of Thrust SSC parts that are no longer needed.
Each event will start at 10:00am and there will be a charge of £10 for a double ticket (member & guest), plus £5 for each additional guest. Please send a Stamped Addressed Envelope and complete the form attached so that we can send you full details - See you there.
Please print or copy the form below and return to PO Box 77 at the address below.
Name:................................................................ Membership No....................... Address:............................................................. ..................................................................... ..................................................................... ..................................................................... Post Code:........................................................... Tel No:...................................................
I enclose a cheque for £10 - please enrol me for the VMS - (please tick here .....)
Please reserve places for me at the following lectures - £10.00 per double ticket plus £5 for each additional guest (max 2 per member per session). I enclose a cheque for the total cost and a Stamped Addressed Envelope for confirmation and instructions.
Date: Jan 26th Subject: Travel at Mach 1 Speaker: Ron Ayers Tick here ...... Number of guests ...... Date: Feb 2nd Subject: The World Land Speed Record Speaker: David Tremayne Tick here ...... Number of guests ...... Date: Feb 16th Subject: Driving Thrust SSC Speaker: Andy Green Tick here ...... Number of guests ...... Date: Mar 2nd Subject: Spey Engines Speakers: SSC Engine Team Tick here ...... Number of guests ......
Ref: SSC09 1/100th scale Lledo Thrust SSC Jordan model - Unsigned £16.00 + £1.50 p&p - Signed £21.00 + £1.50 p&p Ref: SSC28 Polo shirt with SSC logo - Yellow Adult sizes: XL, L, M, S £17.00 + £2.00 p&p Child sizes 7/8, child 9/11 £15.00 + £2.00 p&p Ref: SSC29 Polo shirt with embroidered SSC logo - Green or White Adult sizes: XL, L, M, S £17.00 + £2.00 p&p Child sizes 7/8, child 9/11 £15.00 + £2.00 p&p Ref: SSC30 Thrust SSC tie - Blue with motif background and SSC logo at tip £12.00 + £2.00 p&p Ref: SSC31 Thrust SSC tie - Black with diagonal stripes and motif background and SSC logo at tip £12.00 + £2.00 p&p Ref: SSC32 FASTEST MAN ON EARTH - book on Thrust 2 by David Tremayne - signed by author and Richard Noble £14.00 + £1.00 p&p Ref: SSC33 Thrust SSC two piece designer glass in special tin £25.00 + £1.50 p&p
To order, please write to the address below stating reference, quantity, size, colour and the total amount including postage & packing. Overseas orders, please add a further £5.00 to your order. Cheques (UK pounds sterling only) payable to SSC Programme Ltd. Visa & Mastercard quoting number and expiry date are also accepted.
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