Thrust SSC

ThrustSSC Checklists - Post-Run Debrief

by Andy Green, ThrustSSC's Driver

After every run, I produce a full report on what happened, what I saw and what will need doing to prepare the Car and the track for the next run. This format is to remind me of all the details I should cover in the report, although there could be other things as well.

[Editors Note: All of Andy's comments are highlighted in red to distinguish them from the text of the checks.]

Page 1

Date/Time Run No./Track No. Temp /Pressure/Wind		The details will tie up with the data logs and the videos of the run. The temperature and air pressure are important as they affect the engine performance - and of course that all-important speed of sound.

Intended Profile: Accel Max speed Decel Chute deployment Brakes		The profile is agreed by the design team before each run and I then have to follow it perfectly if I can, or explain why I couldn't - and bad driving is not an excuse!
Start Up Fuel Batt Volts	Shut Down	The start and finish fuel and voltage readings are important to keep a track of fuel burn and battery health


Systems Performance
Engines: Max start temp, idle Mil and a/b performance Total run time		The engine performance is vital as the engines have to be matched or the computer will shut them down, so all details are recorded for every run
Instruments: Start up During Run		If the instruments all work well then this is a really short section, but if there is any noise on the gauges or any unusual readings then Jeremy Bliss and the systems team need to know
Hydraulics: Suspension Brakes		It's a Car - so suspension and brakes are a key part of it, particularly on a short and bumpy desert like Al Jafr in Jordan

Page 2

Radio		Radio performance at the extreme ends of the desert can be quite poor - even with the 40 ft aerials on top of the Pit Trailer
Run Performance
Track		The track must be smooth and well-marked. The Royal Jordanian Air Force team have done a terrific job of filling the Bedouin tracks that cross the desert and smoothing out the ripples which occur towards the southern end.
Handling: Steering Chutes Brakes		A subjective input of the steering, brakes and brake parachutes can be very useful to the engineering team if there are any problems - although this is usually just a reminder for me to write 'Fine, all worked well'

(ThrustSSC's tracks on the Jafr Desert. Photo: Jeremy Davey. Image taken with a Fujifilm DS-515A Digital Card Camera)

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