The fourth ThrustSSC run was achieved on 21st November at 4.00pm - after a total of 26 days in the Jafr desert. The run was targeted to achieve a 400 mph (644kph) peak speed and the first use of afterburners at Jafr. 300 mph (480kph) was achieved with excellent afterburner lightup, but then high speed steering problems forced abortion of the run at 300mph.
After 16 days of car and desert preparation the first run was achieved on the 12th November with a maximum speed attained of 230mph (370kph) - Run 2 achieved a peak speed of 331 mph (532 kph).
It is now quite clear that apart from the steering problems the ThrustSSC is now becoming a reliable vehicle producing very sizeable quantities of data - and that once the rear wheel steering is sorted, a rapid build up of speeds from a succession of runs now becomes possible. Desert Operations managed by Martyn Davidson are particularly effective.
Driven by British fighter pilot Andy Green - the 850mph (1370kph) ThrustSSC car weighs 10 tonnes and has 106,000hp making it the most powerful car ever built. The car is highly innovative featuring twin jet engines, hydraulic suspension, active computer controlled ride and rear wheel steering. The research period took 2.5 years and the subsequent build 75,000 man hours. The 30 person ThrustSSC team is operating from King Feisal Air Base at Jafr Jordan - with its operational base on the nearby Jafr desert which offers a consistently hard desert surface with a longer operational weather window than the traditional US sites.
The steering problems are caused by a 300mph (480kph) wheel shimmy - a rapid lateral oscillation of the steering wheels which so far has caused no damage other than component wear, but which also reduces the steering authority. Over the next three days replacement and new components made in UK will be rushed to Jafr for fitting and the car is expected to be operational again by Monday. Speed cannot be increased until this is cured.
After recent rain the desert has dried hard again and the weather has returned to hot and windless conditions.
The Thrust SSC team are in competition with the US and Australian team to achieve the first ever supersonic (750mph-1210kph) World Land Speed Record.
The current World Land Speed Record is 633.468mph (1019.44kph) held by Richard Noble, project director of ThrustSSC, since Oct 4th 1983 - second longest period in history.
ENDS
Day by day coverage and 600 page support material on the ThrustSSC project is available with 500 high quality JPEG copyright free photographs on the Internet. Access http://thrustssc.digital.co.uk (4.0 million page accesses - growth 50,000 accesses/day). Full media support service with photographic reproductions service (44)181-308-6520. Project Jordan office 009626-886141.
PLEASE NOTE. Motor Racing can be very dangerous. You attend the ThrustSSC Jafr Jordan trials only at your own personal risk.
 |
 |
 |
||
| Sponsored by | This site best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 | |||
 |
 |
 |
||