“The car tended to pull hard left at around 600 miles per hour, and that was requiring up to ninety degrees of steering lock to keep it straight.” - Andy Green
It’s been 20 years since the Thrust SSC made its record-breaking speed run, becoming the only car to ever travel faster than the speed of sound. Yet as its driver explains, it wasn’t as simple as mashing the go-pedal and having its two enormous Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines blast him into the history books.
Jalopnik: Here’s What It’s Like To Break The Sound Barrier In A Dang Car
That's what you may think that is it's like but this is how it really goes:
“It’s the loudest, highest-pitched scream I’ve ever heard,” said British Royal Air Force fighter pilot Andy Green of approaching the sound barrier, who drove the Thrust SSC to set its world record. “The car tended to pull—because of the way it was constructed with the staggered rear wheels—tended to pull hard left at around 600 miles per hour, and that was requiring up to ninety degrees of steering lock to keep it straight.”
- Jalopnik
This is not likely the type of feat you or I will ever try but what a marvel that anyone does.
Zen Yogi: Andy Green is completely crackers!
Perhaps but he and the team dedicated their time to immaculate preparation and their speed runs were flawless in achieving a successful result.
But they did it. On October 15, 1997, the Thrust SSC set a World Land Speed Record of 760.035 mph, and becoming the first and only car to break the sound barrier.
That record may not stand for much longer, though. A successor, the Bloodhound SSC, has been in the works and makes its first runs at Newquay later this month. Its goal is to exceed 1000 mph.
- Jalopnik
It’s been 20 years since the Thrust SSC made its record-breaking speed run, becoming the only car to ever travel faster than the speed of sound. Yet as its driver explains, it wasn’t as simple as mashing the go-pedal and having its two enormous Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines blast him into the history books.
Jalopnik: Here’s What It’s Like To Break The Sound Barrier In A Dang Car
That's what you may think that is it's like but this is how it really goes:
“It’s the loudest, highest-pitched scream I’ve ever heard,” said British Royal Air Force fighter pilot Andy Green of approaching the sound barrier, who drove the Thrust SSC to set its world record. “The car tended to pull—because of the way it was constructed with the staggered rear wheels—tended to pull hard left at around 600 miles per hour, and that was requiring up to ninety degrees of steering lock to keep it straight.”
- Jalopnik
This is not likely the type of feat you or I will ever try but what a marvel that anyone does.
Zen Yogi: Andy Green is completely crackers!
Perhaps but he and the team dedicated their time to immaculate preparation and their speed runs were flawless in achieving a successful result.
But they did it. On October 15, 1997, the Thrust SSC set a World Land Speed Record of 760.035 mph, and becoming the first and only car to break the sound barrier.
That record may not stand for much longer, though. A successor, the Bloodhound SSC, has been in the works and makes its first runs at Newquay later this month. Its goal is to exceed 1000 mph.
- Jalopnik
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