Sponsors: 224
Media coverage: 130,000ccms
Mach 1 Members: 4000+
Internet: 6,800,000 p/access, growth:337,000/week
Model production: 328,000
SSC PROGRAMME LTD,
P8. Shed, DERA Farnborough
GU14 6TD, UK.
Following 2.5 years of research with 5 government establishments and 5 universities, and 100,000 man hours of build time - with the help of 224 companies - the British built ThrustSSC supersonic land speed record car is now complete and ready for business.
The ThrustSSC team would like to welcome their new main sponsors BTR plc, Britain's largest engineering Group who joined the project in March as Main Sponsors. Members of the BTR Group include Dunlop Aviation Division, manufacturers of the ThrustSSC high speed wheels and brakes, and Hawker Batteries, exclusive suppliers of batteries to the project.
In 1996, the 100,000hp ThrustSSC ran briefly on the Jafr desert in Jordan to a speed of 331mph when unexpected rain flooded the desert for the first time in five years, halting further high speed running that year. In the US the Spirit of America ran to an unofficial 675 mph before becoming unstable. The Shell sponsored car was returned for a rebuild and will now run again this September.
The ThrustSSC and the Spirit of America teams have worked out an operating proposal to enable the two cars to be run on the same days on the Black Rock Desert in Nevada - the best high speed site anywhere. The US Government body, the Bureau of Land Management, has indicated that they will consider a viable operational plan for issuing of a Permit and both teams now have to produce the plan for May 15th. Once granted the Permit would enable the two teams to run for up to 6 weeks when the desert is likely to flood for the winter. Great care is taken to avoid any contamination or damage to the desert surface or surrounding countryside. First day of runs is scheduled for September 2nd.
Said Richard Noble ThrustSSC Project Director and current Holder of the World Land Speed Record: 'This is likely to be the greatest car race of all time. We have a chance to achieve a World First in a direct competition, the likes of which the World has never seen before.' Mach 1 is temperature dependant but around 750mph at Black Rock in September.
In Australia, veteran Rosco McGlashan is readying Aussie Invader 3 for an attempt at Mach 1 on Lake Gairdner which is currently under water, but is expected to dry in late May. They have built a village - Machville - to enable the team to attempt a long term development.
In order to try to pull ahead of the Americans, the ThrustSSC team is returning to Jordan to run to 600mph+ on the Jafr desert which dries ahead of the Black Rock. The Jordan trials are likely to take around 4 weeks. This superb desert surface is harder and much shorter than Black Rock, providing very limited safety distance so it is likely that the World Record could fall first to McGlashan.
The ThrustSSC team have booked their flight in a giant Antonov 124 with sponsors HeavyLift-VolgaDnepr from Stansted for May 3rd. Currently the desert surface is being prepared and surveyed in Jordan ready for the first runs which are likely around the 10th. The ThrustSSC team would like to express their profound thanks to His Majesty King Hussein and His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, and to their many friends in the Royal Jordanian Air Force for making this possible once again.
The drivers and cars differ substantially: Spirit of America Driver Craig Breedlove, now 60, is making a comeback - in the 1960's he was the first over 400, 500 and 600mph. Rosco McGlashan is in his 40's, and youngest is ThrustSSC Driver Andrew Green (34) - an RAF Squadron leader with 2,000 hours in Phantoms and Tornados. Andy Green was chosen from a 16 man selection which took 6 months. His favourite hobby is the Cresta Run. Both Aussie Invader and Spirit of America are single engine cars. ThrustSSC features twin afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey 205 bypass engines grossing at 45,000 lbs of thrust, active ride and rear wheel steer.
During the winter ThrustSSC has been rebuilt and completed to full supersonic specification which includes the development and completion of the computer controlled active ride system which varies the cars incidence according to Mach number. The car has been painted in the specially created BASF supersonic black - in direct contrast with Breedlove's white car.
ThrustSSC has been designed by a four man team: Ron Ayers (aerodynamicist), Glynne Bowsher (structure and mechanical designer), Jerry Bliss (Systems and active ride), and Chris Cowell (Engines). The build team is managed by Nick Dove, Head of Workshop. Operations is managed by Martyn Davidson, another RAF Squadron Leader who came to the team's notice when running the Pendine long test track where ThrustSSC supersonic rocket modelling took place in 1993/4.
The 25 person team travelling to Jordan is completely self supporting and includes for the first time a Pegasus Quantum Microlight flown by World Champion Simon Baker for aerial spotting duties - essential on the Jafr desert which is a favourite Bedouin short cut to Saudi Arabia.
The team depends on six Land Rover Discovery Tdis for the essential support and transport, which are currently being shipped to Aqaba.
Two key features of the project promotion include the highly successful Digital sponsored 700 page Web Site which has received over 6.5million accesses, managed by Webmaster Jeremy Davey of Texas Instruments Software. Also the rapidly growing MACH 1 Club which provides a unique opportunity to follow the project at close quarters and in many cases work directly on the programme. This has contributed substantially to the success of the project. The gross project revenues split 17.5% merchandise sales and 82.5% sponsorship finance.
The project is supported by 224 sponsors whose help has been paramount in getting the project to this stage. The highly costly autumn forthcoming campaign in the US has to be dependant on a strong result in Jordan.
ENDS.
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