Thrust SSC as it happened - 1997 News Reports

right now Lori there you can probably see a cloud of dust behind me that is the dust kicked up by the fire chase vehicle which has just headed out to its position that usually means we're around two or three minutes away from a run and thrust driven by Andy green hopes to reach a speed of something like 700 miles per hour on this first run now what they have to do then obviously is six miles up the desert in that direction they have to turn it around within the hour get it back at a similar speed if they manage to do that that will smash the land speed record which has been held for 14 years by Richard noble who as you know from our live coverage is the man who is masterminding this current project so any minute now we expect down to my left the car to start up and then we hope it will come straight past us at around 700 miles per hour as I say they'll try to turn it around send it back and break that land speed record now of course we have this terrific run yesterday didn't we the second run not within the hours time limit but of 687 miles an hour can you just remind us why they didn't actually turn the car around and make that run within the one hour which would have beaten the record well they had a couple of technical problems that they wanted to take a look at and they were just simply slipped out of the timeslot basically so they decided that too rather than risk it yesterday they would start afresh today which we believe they are doing now in fact the run is underway we're gonna pan around now Mick Dean our cameraman panning around to the far south end of the desert that's about 6 miles from us you should be able to see the cloud of dust now that is thrust SSC building up he'll now be at full power probably kicking in the afterburners now around 400 miles per hour picking up to 500 here he comes now towards the crucial mile marker this is where he wants to hit 700 he's in the mile marker his speed over that mile is being measured now it looks good it looks fast and it looks smooth he's out of the mile marker he will now be using the braking systems first of all a parachute comes out that takes him down from about 550 miles an hour to around 150 then he will be breaking of pretty much conventional brakes hoping to stop down there everybody looks fairly pleased not quite the cheers we heard you today I don't know if that signifies that maybe it wasn't as fast as they would have liked but certainly it was a smooth run it looks successful we now have to wait and see whether what the speed is now right behind me here you can probably make out the trucks here that is the United States Automobile Club and the FIA the International Automobile Federation they are the official timekeepers they will tell us hopefully within the next few minutes what speed that was if it was a record-breaking speed then the team will now be bringing the car to a halt up there they'll be making sure it's safe first they will then move in check out all the data if everything is ok Andy green should head back down this way if within one hour so we would hope sometime before 10:00 past nine London time and hopefully break that land speed record we'll bring you the speed of this run as soon as we hear it and on that return run if it's within the hour Jonathan he might really put his foot down and go for Mac one speed of sound 750 I don't think that is actually very likely Laurie the problem with this is that safety is always the number one concern and as they build up towards their ultimate aim which as you say is to break the speed of sound then they would have to do it very slowly because all the safety systems have to check out so he would likely come back at around the same speed he went up the desert at this time and then over the next week they would build towards the supersonic barrier the speed of sound that is because the safety systems as I say have to be checked out and Andy green the driver was actually telling us yesterday that what they will probably do as they head towards those very very high speeds and the sound barrier they will probably scroll back a bit and do a couple of actually slower runs to test out some of this some of the more sophisticated safety systems that kick in when he's approaching the speed of sound so we're probably a week or two away yet but you you won't see the speed of sound today you may well see a new land speed record live on sky Jonathan we shall join you on that second run thank you very much Jonathan what was the time on that last run very very quick indeed Laurie 693 miles per hour that is the fastest speed yet achieved by any car in history beating by six miles what Andy green did here in the desert just yesterday when he reached 687 let's take a look at the run now if we can he starts off very slowly the naught to 70 bit then accelerates very very quickly picking up 25 miles per hour per second as he puts on the afterburners coming through the measured mile which is the important bit the USA see that's the United States Automobile Club times him and the FIA the International Automobile Federation timed at 693 miles per hour now there is though one slight problem as he went through the measured mile one of the computers aborted the run he'd already hit that high speed so that's not a problem that is official but one of the computers then aborted the run for what reason we don't know yet now so the design team is this in this direction in the desert around six miles up there at the stop point they're all around the car now they'll be checking out all the data if that computer problem is serious the land speed record could be off it may though be a very simple problem in which case there is still a chance they will turn it around within the hour and send it back down the desert at a similar speed and break that 14-year old land speed record it will be live on sky of six nine three absolutely incredible any reaction from the rival American camp and Craig Breedlove not as yet I should think they're sitting they are the spirit of America I think they're the dispirited of America right now they've only hit a top speed of around three hundred and eighty some serious problems with their car we don't expect them to be out on the desert really for at least a couple of days they've got a lot of problems to sort out clearly well behind in this race but it could go on for several weeks yet they could come back out in two weeks time break whatever record Andy Green set so it's not over okay Jonathan we'll stay in touch thanks very much indeed Jonathan what's happening well it slipped outside that one hour I'm afraid Laurie there for the moment the land speed record stays with Richard Noble 14-year old record of six hundred and thirty three miles per hour right now they have slipped outside the problem was that at the end of the first run they had a computer failure that aborted the run after it had gone through at six hundred ninety three miles per hour it's taking them longer than they thought to fix that so the speed record is off for the moment let's take a quick look though at that first very successful run anyway the car builds up as we've said before very slowly from naught to 70 about 20 seconds then full power then the afterburners 300 miles per hour to 550 in 11 and a half seconds through the mile marker which is just behind us right in front of our cameras here at 693 miles per hour it was measured at that point then the parachute comes out that brings the speed down from around 550 to 150 then Andy green uses pretty much a basic braking system to bring it to a halt but at that point the computer as I say had already aborted the run there is a problem we think with the software they're working on that now now it doesn't mean the land speed record is lost for today of course they could if they can fix this computer problem send thrust SSC back down the desert here at 693 miles per hour again and then if they can turn it around down at that end of the desert and send it back they could still get the record today but right now bad news they have a problem that they are working on it but right now the record isn't going to be broken in the next few minutes but it clearly has the potential to break it doesn't it it has the potential not just to break it but - absolutely shatter this record and go well beyond that as well or clearly 693 is 60 miles per hour more than Richard nobles average speed when he broke the record this car they say is capable of going even faster than that they want to break the sound barrier they want to go supersonic on the ground to do that they would have to hit something like 750 miles per hour it's all dependent on ground temperatures as well that's why it's around that figure not specifically that that is obviously a couple of weeks away maybe one week but probably more like two because they have to build up incremental e very slowly but they're very confident that this car within the within perhaps this afternoon here in Nevada perhaps tomorrow will shatter the land speed record and will go on to become the first the first car to break the sound barrier and I know you're gonna stick with it Jonathan thank you very much indeed well let's but a computer problem and it meant that the team was unable to complete the second run within an hour that means the record doesn't stand this is how skies Jonathan hunt saw the first run you should be able to see the cloud of dust now that is thrust SSC building up he'll now be at full power probably kicking in the afterburners now around 400 miles per hour picking up to 500 here he comes now towards the crucial mile marker this is where he wants to hit 700 he's in the mile marker his speed over that mile is being measured now it looks good it looks fast and it looks smooth he's out of the mile marker he will now be using the braking systems first of all a parachute comes out that takes him down from about 550 miles an hour to around 150 then he will be breaking a pretty much conventional brakes hoping to stop down there Trustin hitting 693 miles per hour today they completed their first run just after 8 o'clock achieving a speed of 693 miles per hour the fastest car has ever gone but a computer fault means that they couldn't make a second run which is absolutely essential to establish a new record naught to 70 in a sedate 20 seconds then full power and afterburners as the car reaches 300 miles per hour then to 550 in 11 and a half seconds and thrust goes through the crucial mile marker at a record shattering speed this was the fastest run yet the time the speed for a mile are 693 point 507 miles now so with the first run of 693 miles per hour the record attempt is on now it's up to the engineers to turn the car around and send it back down this desert at a similar speed within one hour but as the support vehicles readied themselves for a second run the design team reported a problem because it depends the computer one is shut down and has actually bought it a run so if that is what has happened then the tail of the car would have been pushed up into the safety position the two engines would have been shut down and the car would have been brought to a halt and as the one-hour time limit passed there was no sign of thrust the land speed record remains unbroken Jonathan Hunt Sky News in the Black Rock Desert Nevada going live to Nevada and Jonathan for the next run which we're expecting very shortly actually within the next hour the jet-powered car actually touched 719 miles an hour over a measured mile but still the record alludes the thrust team the car tends to start very slowly naught to 70 in a fairly sedate 20 seconds at 70 miles per hour Andy green hits full power he then takes the car up to around 200 miles per hour that's when he kicks in the afterburners the afterburners then start increasing its speed by 25 miles per hour per second he goes from 300 miles per hour to 550 miles per hour in roughly 11 and a half seconds then he steps it up he's looking for a speed of around 700 again here he's heading towards the mile marker now it looks very fast indeed it's coming into the mile marker this is where his speed will be measured right now as he goes through that mile marker he's through to the end of the mile marker the figure again was 703 well 719 miles per hour but we're just getting news from the Nevada desert that there won't be another run tonight the parachutes used to slow the car down fail Andy green the driver had to use conventional brakes they were damaged trying to bring the car to a halt so the second and decisive brand tonight has been cancelled you hello viv let's just pound the cameras around straightaway this latest attempt at the land speed record is already underway you can see in the far distance now there may be a few people in the way of our camera shot right now but in the far distance thrust is beginning to build up speed it goes as we've said before from naught to 17 a relatively sedate 20 seconds Andy green then puts on full power up to 200 miles per hour then he's increasing speed with the afterburners at around 25 miles per hour per second that is the dust cloud you can see now this run is underway he's looking for a speed of around 680 miles per hour he'll then turn around hopefully come back within the hour and finally we hope break this record he's coming into the mile marker now this is the crucial part this is where his speed will be measured by the van's you can see right in front of us he's through the mile marker now this is where he now begins to break first of all it's a parachute system double parachutes those failed on his last run hopefully they are working today we can't tell from this distance he'll then be breaking from around 150 miles per hour with relatively conventional breaks so obviously a successful run there so far but now what we have to wait for is we've waited for so often before is to see whether the systems are all in place everything is working all the data checks out and if the team finally can manage to turn this car around within the hour send it back down the desert this way and hopefully we hope finally break that 14-year old land speed record of 633 miles per hour we had a superb shot of that Jonathan probably the best shot we've had all week of the car itself of the vehicle itself any idea from just looking whether it whether it was a decent run looked like a very good run clearly it was quick and this car has shown several times already that it is far more than capable of breaking this record so that would certainly I think have you know the necessary speed to break the record as we've said before they need to runs with an aggregate speed of 640 miles per hour that's because they need to be 1% over the current record of 633 that certainly looked as though it was the necessary speed I would say the point is now whether they can turn it around in the hour that's what they've had before computer failures parachute braking failures hopefully there are no problems this time we'll find out in a few minutes exactly what that speed was I would say from our experience of watching the cargo pass that it was certainly above record-breaking speed and that's threatening weather we'd heard about Jonathan that's gone away has it well it blew in a little bit we did have some showers here this morning but the desert dries out very quickly the winds dropped again now we do have hurricane ora battering sort of Southern California and that is pushing some bad weather up here but it seems to have abated for the moment at least and certainly there is no bad weather around right now so that looks as though it will hold for the hour if they can turn this car around we've got every single finger crossed Jonathan that will be back to you within an hour thanks a lot 700 miles per hour through the measured mile that as you know by now is the critical point it's directly behind me here the official time keepers are in those vans which you can see right behind us they are the ones who sanction any record 700 miles per hour clearly more than enough to break this record if they can turn the car around six miles away up that end of the desert and bring it back down here at a similar speed 700 miles per hour very pleased with that the team here obviously slower than the 719 that we have seen thrust to but they're easing off slightly in the hope that they can turn the car around with the hour avoid any problems and finally get this record it certainly looks on today if we have no problems reported with the car at that end of the desert and as yet there are no problems being reported as I said before Jonathan fingers crossed see you later that is the dust cloud you can see now this run is underway he's looking for a speed of around 680 miles per hour he'll then turn around hopefully come back within the hour and finally we hope break this record he's coming into the mile marker now this is the crucial part this is where his speed will be measured by the van's you can see right in front of us he's through the mile marker now this is where he now begins to break first of all it's a parachute system double parachutes those failed on his last run hopefully they are working today we can't tell from this distance he'll then be breaking from around 150 miles per hour with relatively conventional brakes so obviously a successful run there so far but now what we have to wait for is we've waited for so often before is to see whether the systems are all in place everything is working all the data checks out and if the team finally can manage to turn this car around within the hour send it back down the desert this way and hopefully we hope finally break that 14-year old land speed record of 633 miles per hour and thrust is due to make its second run to confirm the new record within the next half hour suspense is killing it I'm sure they will get intervention and our correspondent Jonathan hunt watch did happen just a few minutes ago rust SSC's bid for the land speed record now underway Andy green putting on the afterburners increasing speed 25 miles per hour per second this is the critical one he's within the hour time limit this could be the land speed record he's now going into the crucial mile marker clearly traveling at enough speed to break that record he's through the mile marker he is now dropping back braking systems coming into play the thrust team looping in a hollering with joy they clearly failed if they have broken the world land speed record after so many attempts now we just have to wait several minutes for the official time to come through but clearly it looks right now is if thrust SSC finally after all the problems after all the waiting it looks as though thrust has broken the world land speed record it stands currently at 633 miles per hour a record held for 14 years by Richard noble the man masterminding this project but thrust we have already seen once go through here at 700 miles per hour it looks as though it's gone back at a similar speed clearly that would shatter the record we now await the official time now back to you in the studio and in fact Jonathan is now standing by for us live 714 miles per hour I mean lorries much better than me at sums he makes it that they've broken it by 81 miles per hour Jonathan so they did it in star in the end they did it in great style in the end 700 miles-per-hour on that first run that we saw live on sky 728 miles per hour on this second run which you've just watched that gives them an average through the two runs of 714 shattering the current land speed record they've waited longer than they wanted to they've had computer problems they've had parachute problems the braking parachutes but now as you say they have shattered the land speed record in some style and what happens next well next they are they keep go I think they probably have a party tonight to celebrate but next they go for what is their bigger ambition which is to break the sound barrier to be the first car to travel faster than the speed of sound that'll be depending on the temperature around 750 miles per hour now considering they went 728 miles per hour today it's probably not that far away for them to go through Mach 1 they consider that even more historic than the land speed record so it'll be a party tonight and then back to business tomorrow and whatever happened to the Americans dare I ask well the Americans are still here in the desert they've struggled to get even above 400 miles per hour so far Craig Breedlove in the spirit of America has had a lot of problems with the car he's had a lot of engine problems they're still working on those now don't forget though that this is not the end of it that Craig Breedlove could sit here in the desert sort out his problems and provided the weather doesn't turn against him could come out in a couple of weeks time and break Andy greens new world land speed record I think the thrust team though believed that in the car that Craig Breedlove has that is unlikely it doesn't appear to be too stable it appears to have too many problems so it looks as though the world land speed record stays with Britain and stays with Britain for some time to come Jonathan thanks very much record breakers thrust SSC gets his new mark in the desert Debra Perry collapses after hearing her death sentence on the radio the thousand pound fine for parents who can't control their children Sky News [Music] good evening within the last hour Britain's thrust SSC team has broken the world land speed record in Nevada our US correspondent Jonathan hunt watched the run at the Black Rock Desert thrust SSC's bid for the land speed record now underway andy green putting on the afterburners increasing speed 25 miles per hour per second this is the critical one he's within the hour time limit this could be the land speed record he's now going into the crucial mile marker clearly traveling at enough speed to break that record he's through the mile marker he is now throttling back braking systems coming into play the thrust team whooping in a hollering with joy they clearly feel that they have broken the world land speed record after so many attempts and thrust SSC has broken the world land speed record that second run recorded at 728 miles per hour that gives them an average on the two runs of seven hundred and fourteen miles per hour breaking the current land speed record by 81 miles per hour that record had been held for 14 years by Richard noble the man who's masterminded this thrust SSC project but Andy green is now the new world land speed record holder his speed seven hundred and fourteen miles per hour and that was just half an hour ago and just one main story this hour on Sky News Britain's thrust SSC team has broken the world land speed record in Nevada tornado pilot Andy green completed two runs in his jet-powered car within the hour permitted the first run was timed at 700 miles per hour the second at 728 miles per hour in the average of that set a new record of 714 miles per hour news from America by CBS next you you the news headlines this Friday morning the British jet-powered car thrust has shattered the world land speed record in Nevada it clocked 714 miles an hour 80 more than the old record the Queen and the Prime Minister have sent their congratulations [Music] good morning and welcome to the BBC's breakfast news good morning the main stories the Queen and the Prime Minister have sent messages of congratulation to the British team in the Nevada desert who last night broke the world land speed record the jet powered thrust vehicle driven by RAF Tornado pilot andy green managed an average of 714 miles an hour that's 80 miles an hour more than the old record there's been an earthquake overnight in central Italy there are unconfirmed reports that two people have been killed and the Foreign Secretary says the government is encouraging negotiations which could result in blood money being paid to the family of the Australian nurse murdered in Saudi Arabia also in the next hour as William Hague celebrates a hundred days as leader of the party a senior conservative says his plans to reform the party could create a Stalinist situation and on a mission to Mir the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off a few hours ago and liftoff of the space shuttle Atlantis extending America's presence in space and David brain is here with this morning's weather Thank You Liz good morning to you nothing really changing the weather pattern very static at the moment across the British Isles I think the weekend forecast much of the same a bit of morning mist and fog to contend with and eventually the Sun poking through fine and dry here a bit more cloud in the far north and the breeze freshening here as well and that's the forecast the British supersonic car thrust SSC has smashed the world land speed record members of the team are celebrating in a Nevada desert after powering their way into the record books at a speed of seven hundred and fourteen point one miles an hour the Queen described their achievement as a source of great pride for the nation the Prime Minister's also sent a message of congratulation two minutes to run the British team manager Richard Noble has spent the last nine years working for this moment the dustcloud six miles away from our vantage point means our air fighter pilot Andy green switched on thrust SSC s engine seconds later the dust cloud advances whipped up by the power of two rolls jet engines near full throttle at this stage Andy green is gently accelerating to six than over 700 miles an hour the noise in the cockpit is deafening every tiny vibration the car experiences is shared by its driver the aim is to reach the intended top speed along a special 1 mile section of the desert track by the time were we as thrust SSC cuts across this dry barren lake their expectations are high degree didn't disappoint finally the world land speed record that stood for 40 years has not only been broken but crushed [Music] [Applause] drive as fast as you want on the surface well Andy green success is now being shared by the hundreds of people back in the UK who worked on the development of what is the most advanced and now the fastest road vehicle ever built he's actually made the stub axles and the hubs themselves which the wheels are actually mounted to to rotate so it's always sharp end of automotive products that we've done for the project if the wheels wouldn't turn without our parts on them and the brakes wouldn't be able to stop anything because there be nothing turning around to be able to stop so the boys back in England would be very proud of today the British team hoped the record this cars achieved won't last long they want to gradually increase it over the next couple of weeks until it reaches the sound barrier of well over seven hundred and fifty miles an hour once achieved it's a record that will stand for some time to come Clive miry BBC news in the Nevada desert Richard noble and his team are a far cry from Britain's high speed pioneers Bluebird took Sir Malcolm Campbell into the record books at 301 miles an hour in 1935 29 years later as the record speed Rose Bluebird Proteus entered the race driven by sir Malcolm's son Donald in 1964 his car achieved 403 miles an hour at a permanent place in history it's wheels were driven by its engine unlike its many successors which had been propelled by jet engines ten years later with the record now standing at 600 miles an hour Richard Noble began his love affair with speed in thrust by 1981 thrust to was finished but it was another two years before its driver became the fastest man in the world at a speed of 633 miles an hour it seemed the fulfillment of a dream why did you do it in the first place ah well I suppose for Britain and for the hell of it and what an earth you gonna do now God knows I'm gonna have a long rest but Richard Noble had always set his sights on the sound barrier and thrust SSC was designed to break it the new record isn't enough and the team's working furiously to beat narrowing odds money and we're up against winter and we're up against engineering so we probably got ourselves maybe another I don't 15 20 days something like that in which to go supersonic if thrust is the first car to break the sound barrier Richard Nobel will earn a permanent place in history alongside the Campbells it could be just days away David Allison BBC news and Andy green team leader Richard Noble and the thrust team power their way into the record books at over 714 miles an hour the Queen described their achievement as a source of great pride for the nation and the Prime Minister's also sent a message of congratulation two minutes to run the British team manager Richard Noble has spent the last nine years working for this moment the aim is to reach the intended top speed along a special one-mile section of the desert track where the time will be recorded as thrust SSC cuts across this dry barren lake bed expectations are high and Andy green didn't disappoint finally the world land speed record that stood for 14 years has not only been broken but crushed [Music] [Applause] drive as fast as you want in the surface well the British team hope the record this cars achieved won't last long they want to gradually increase it over the next couple of weeks until it reaches the sound barrier of well over 750 miles an hour once achieved it's a record that will stand for some time to come Clive miry BBC news in the Nevada desert staggering 714 miles an hour the Queen and the Prime Minister both sent messages of congratulation to the team who raced into the record books last night in Nevada's Black Rock Desert in the United States at last they deceived what they'd always said they would in a space of one hour thrust made two successful runs averaging 714 miles an hour eighty-one miles an hour faster than the previous record it'sh teams had a good track record in breaking the land speed record in 1964 bluebird reached more than four hundred miles an hour the last record was set by richard noble 14 years ago the speed 633 miles an hour today's thrust SSC has the power of 1,000 family cars with two rolls-royce engines it's now officially the fastest road vehicle ever built but that's not the end of it the team now wants to break the speed of sound 750 miles an hour to break the record they had to do two runs in an hour on its first run thrust SSC topped 700 miles an hour less than an hour later on its return run it reached 728 miles an hour an average speed of 714 mph well over the existing record for the driver pilot Andy green it was a triumph even it was enthusiasm didn't exactly show Richard noble who built the car did his best to get the party going it was his own 14-year old record that was beaten in 1983 his thrust to car reached 630 miles an hour he always thought the right car could go faster built here in Southampton thrust SSC twice as long as a bus has been handmade each piece carefully designed pushing technology to the limit thrust SSC is half car half aircraft it has aluminium wheels nearly three feet high it's powered by two rolls-royce spey jet engines used on phantom aircraft it takes just one minute from start to stop burning up 300 gallons of paraffin if the nose starts to lift special hydraulics raise the tail to force the nose down again sixty years ago Sir Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird set a world record of just 300 miles an hour but is breaking speed records simply a bit of fun or is there a serious purpose Engineers say the spinoff from such a technological challenge is useful a vehicle like thrust SSC is of course incredibly advanced and far away from the average Road car of today but in the future you can't be sure that there won't be little things that trickle down and come into average everyday involvement the thrust team is not finished yet they hope soon to go supersonic nearly 750 miles an hour we were up against money and we're up against winter and we're up against engineering so we probably got ourselves maybe another I don't 1520 days something like that in which to go supersonic and then there's the risk but driver Andy green says it's less dangerous than climbing Everest James Wilkinson BBC News the car smashed the land speed record last week with an amazing 714 miles an hour and we wish them all the very best as they push on with their bid to break the sound barrier when they do we'll bring you a full report you and finally the thrust supersonic car team out in Nevada has completed an unofficial test run at 750 miles an hour it's only about 10 miles an hour short of the speed of sound they think they're now only a day away from shattering that sound barrier best of luck to them you through the sound barrier in the backdrop in Nevada at Ian's Tara Lloyd was there the British supercar had not been out of the workshops for five days but now everything seemed perfect the car and the desert weather the storms had moved on and the sand had baked dry Andy green had already driven thrust SSC to a new world record of 714 miles an hour on this run he hoped to go at 785 mph punching through the sound barrier inside the control tower the drivers girlfriend and teammates appeared anxious as they prepared to count him down fifty years ago tomorrow Chuck Yeager flew supersonic for the first time Andy green knew that to bring that record down to earth he would have to complete a four second mile to reach his target as he passed the halfway mark a sonic bang could be heard traveling faster than the speed of sound on land had been confined to the realms of science fiction now Andy Greene has made that reality and made history witted noble the former world record holder celebrated as the car prepared for a second supersonic run Terry Lloyd News at Ten in the Nevada desert that's a wonderful achievement for the thrust team and that news at 10:00 tonight we're back tomorrow from the entire team here at ITN good night [Music] a same car with a run of 764 miles per hour streaking across the sand faster than the speed of sound I'm joined now live from the desert by our correspondent Tom Carver Tom what was the point of this well it's a very good question the point I suppose it's to enter the history books because no one's ever going to be able to do the same feat pull off the same trick again and at the moment this is still an unofficial timing but if it is confirmed that Andy green will go down as the first man ever to drive a car through the sound barrier on the surface of the earth so I guess that's something to live for now is that is this the end of the this performance in the desert it's not know what we had just a few seconds ago before he came to me was another run by the same car in order to try to confirm the land speed record because to do that as opposed to breaking a sound barrier to get the new land speed record they had to do two runs within one hour and I've just been told that the this last run was one minute over one hour so it doesn't qualify as a new land speed record but nonetheless he will go down as the man that broke the sound barrier it would appear so is there going to be one more run or two more runs no there was just one more run just now but as I say it was one minute outside the hour time limits are required and so therefore they will not be able to qualify for a new land speed record but he will still be able to claim that he broke the sound barrier but I doubt it's the end of this hole for Argo because they say that they want to take the car up to 800 miles an hour why don't you use the word farrago well it is becoming quite a scene out here because we've got the American camp as well they are positioned about half a mile across the desert these rival camps they don't talk to each other except to agree on when each other again a race on the next day because they have to share the track but I think that there's a race between these two men breedlove the America man who's broken the record several times over the last four decades and Richard noble who of course has broken the record himself and has now set this new record this rivalry is intense personal rivalry I think we'll go on probably into next year because I'm sure the American won't give up at this state he will be back with more money more cash more cars in an attempt to better what the Brits have done Tom thanks very much indeed thank you you [Music] from the studio's of ITN the news with Dennis to a good morning the headlines thrust breaks the sound barrier in Nevada but misses the official record player faces loyalist rage over shaking hands with Gerry Adams and the campaign is launched to stop firework tragedies on bonfire night Britain's jet supercar thrust has made history by twice breaking the sound barrier but the driver Andy green didn't set a new supersonic land speed record because the two runs across the Nevada desert were 61 minutes apart and the International rules allow only an hour nonetheless Tony Blair and William Hague have sent messages to congratulate the thrust team on going supersonic from Nevada Terry Lloyd reports champagne celebrations for the world's first supersonic driver he burst through the sound barrier twice but Andy Greene said he hadn't heard or felt anything new I still have all the fuss about I didn't hear anything but Nevada's Black Rock Desert had shuddered as the British supercar reached 764 miles an hour [Applause] a supersonic record set but the British wanted another world record they'd broken the sound barrier but under international rules their speed would not be officially recognized unless they could make a similar return run within the hour Andy Greene was up against the clock again the car did go supersonic for a second time but had to turn around been fast enough unfortunately I cannot do that America's Craig Breedlove who'd hope to regain the world land speed title watched and then conceded defeat Craig mixed emotions for you know I just came to congratulate Richard on a job well done basically both racing drivers appreciated this new step for mankind it's human nature to push back the the bounds of what is possible what has been achieved in the same way that people want to for the first time ever to climb Everest to go supersonic in the air to walk on the moon today for the first time ever we created a car and made it supersonic that has never been done before so we've achieved a world first something that humankind has never done before from supercar to supersonic but thrust SSC won't be heading back home just yet the British team intend staying in the desert until the money or the good weather runs out in the hope they can set a new supersonic land speed record they would love to achieve it today exactly fifty years since the first plane flew supersonic Terry Lloyd ITN in the Nevada desert [Music] good morning and welcome to the BBC's breakfast news good morning the main stories the government announces the names of the two people who lead the war against drugs the so called drugs Azhar and his deputy will coordinate efforts to target dealers to cure addicts and to make children more aware of the dangers of drugs British jet-powered car thrust has broken the sound barrier the first time it has been done on that and the Queen is continuing her state visit to India this morning she's in and Ritzer the scene of a massacre by British troops almost eighty years ago also in BBC Breakfast news a crisis summit as america prepares for el nino the first signs of the approaching threat schools of sea lions injured in storms off the California coast Michael fish is here with my weather 64 miles an hour during the second of three runs in the Nevada desert but because it didn't make its third also supersonic run within an hour it failed according to the rule book to set a new land speed record after days of waiting finally a clear desert dawn provides the crucial break in the weather to go supersonic inside the thrust camp the engineers make final checks on the 10-ton British car and its two rolls-royce jet engines for driver Andy green the days of waiting are over he spends a final few moments with his girlfriend Jane Millington who'll give him the signal to go ahead lies 13 miles of desert track and a chance of immortality it's exactly 50 years since the sound barrier was first broken in the air but no one has traveled at the speed of sound on the surface of the earth until now [Applause] and as he passes the sonicboom provides the evidence trust speed is 764 miles an hour faster than the speed of sound original Mach number on that run was one point zero zero seven [Applause] we've seen a supersonic run a genuine supersonic a richard noble thrust and minutes later Craig Breedlove his American rival came over to congratulate on the achievement is a considerable testament of British engineering skills but for driver and grain an RAF pilot it seemed to be just another day's work unlike what I've read in a lot of the newspapers the car doesn't leap into the air and explode I was delighted to find out it is possible to drive supersonic we did it next goal is to hit after breaking the sound barrier they now believe anything is possible Tom Carver BBC news in the Black Rock Desert Nevada it was the culmination of years of hard work millions of pounds had been spent on the project this made it all worthwhile a supersonic run timed at 764 point one six eight miles per hour but that just served to make the organization tougher and the success just that little bit more rewarding to huge rolls-royce jet engines propelled thrust across the desert sand to put RAF fighter pilot Andy green into the history books as the first person ever to break the sound barrier on land here we've achieved something new in going creating the world's first supersonic car and actually not just saying we've done it but actually having it officially approved in time by the rule book states that to qualify as an official land speed record two runs must be completed within an hour of each other thrust failed to do that by just sixty Seconds the next attempt later today we'll try to break eight hundred miles an hour as well as the sound barrier in a double supersonic first David Wade Sky News pronita Andy green thrust reached seven hundred and sixty-four miles an hour during the second of three runs and then of a desert but because it didn't make its third also supersonic run within an hour it failed according to the rulebook to set a new land speed record it's exactly 50 years since the sound barrier was first broken in the air but no one has traveled at the speed of sound on the surface of the earth until now and as he passes the sonic boon provides the evidence trust speed is 764 miles an hour Mach number on that run was one point zero zero seven [Music] for Richard Noble trusts owner hitting Mach 1 was a lifetime's ambition but for driver and grain an RAF pilot it seemed to be just another day's work unlike what I've read in a lot of the newspapers the car doesn't leap into the air and explode I was delighted to find out it is possible to drive supersonic we did it the team's next goal is to hit after breaking the sound barrier they now believe anything is possible Tom Carver BBC news in the Black Rock Desert Nevada it her to go supersonic inside the thrust camp the engineers make final checks on the 10-ton British car and it's two rolls-royce jet engines per driver Andy green the days of waiting are over he spends a final few moments with his girlfriend Jane Millington who'll give him the signal to go ahead lies 13 miles of desert track and a chance of immortality it's exactly 50 years since the sound barrier was first broken in the air but no one has traveled at the speed of sound on the surface of the earth until now and as he passes the sonicboom provides the evidence trust speed is 764 miles an hour faster than the speed of sound original Mach number on that run was one point zero zero seven [Applause] we've seen a supersonic run a genuine richard noble thrust owner hitting Mach 1 was unlike roads ambition and minutes later Craig Breedlove his American rival came over to congratulate him the achievement is a considerable testament of British engineering skills but for driver Andy green an RAF pilot it seemed to be just another day's work unlike what I've read in a lot of the newspapers the car doesn't leap into the air and explode I was delighted to find out it is possible to drive supersonic we did it the team's next goal is to hit 800 miles an hour after breaking the sound barrier they now believe anything is possible Tom Carver BBC news in the Black Rock Desert Nevada no one knew what would happen once the car went faster than sound it was genuinely a trip into the unknown on the Nevada desert only those close by heard the sonic boom as for the first oh no Richard from the official timekeeper Mach number on that run was one point zero zero seven [Applause] when the car is driven subsonically it compresses the air in front of it as it approaches 750 miles an hour a wall or barrier of compressed air forms in front of it at the speed of sound the air part suddenly causing a shock wave and a sonic boom a second shock wave comes from the tail as the air closes after the car has passed thrust success was well-timed 50 years ago to the day this aircraft piloted by Chuck Yeager dropped from the belly of a b-29 to break the sound barrier in an aircraft for the first time Yeager became a folk hero the aircraft a museum piece that led 20 years ago to Concorde and supersonic passenger travel but spectacular as it is thrust success is unlikely to lead to much in terms of ground transport it's much more difficult to see what the immediate relevance of this work can be it's very difficult to see cars traveling at a Marten number of one around the m25 useful or not driver Andy green now goes into the history books unlike what I've read in a lot of the newspapers the car doesn't leap into the air and explode Drive supersonic we did it but they haven't finished yet the next goal to take the land speed record officially above the speed of sound James Wilkinson BBC news before mph in Nevada's Black Rock Desert but it's not an official record because the team failed by Seconds to repeat a required second supersonic run in one hour Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated the thrust team on its achievement well it's tremendous British achievement the whole country is proud of them and what I would say to them I think is well done you've done brilliantly and it's it's a great day for the whole of the country and I think it's a tremendous achievement Tony Blair speeder Sands a big talking point today because the American pilot Chuck Yeager is set to reenact the first flight ever to break the sound barrier known as the flight that was heard around the world it took place fifty years ago today he'll repeat his historic flight in front of hundreds of spectators and the California desert but this time in a modern f-15 fighter on October the 14th 1947 Chuck Yeager then an ace combat pilot was testing a rocket-powered research plane the x1 when he pushed the craft past the sound barrier for the first time Yeager epitomized a new breed of crack pilots who risked and often lost their lives flying a variety of experimental craft Yeager went on to train a generation of young pilots now as stamps being issued to commemorate that first flight you have to be dead ten years before they'll name a statement stamp after you but the x1 is an airplane so they're honoring the airplane for you but if you look in the cockpit real close you'll see my nose big enough 74 years old these days Yeager is still in the cockpit nowadays flying interferes with Yeager's fishing and he says he might have to cut back Alan King Sky News you a British team has established a supersonic land speed record in the Nevada desert the RAF pilot Andy green driving the thrust supersonic car broke the sound barrier on Monday today he completed two runs necessary to establish the record within the one hour permitted by the rules from Washington Tom Carver Squadron Leader Andy green set off down the desert track he's got to know so well to attempt what just eluded him two days before two runs faster than sound within one hour the cooler temperatures of early morning slowed down the speed of sound and allowed him to smash the barrier with ease the engineers managed to prepare thrust for the second run inside the time allowed an Andy green headed back down the track breaking the sound barrier once more since they arrived here in the desert the thrust team have added more than a hundred miles an hour to the land speed record and in doing so have taken its supersonic but it won't take long before someone else tries to better it Tom cava BBC news the thrust super car went faster than sound again this evening twice and this time it completed the two runs within an hour it means the British team have a new supersonic world land speed record - their names the Prime Minister's sent his congratulation ITN sterols Orion reports from the Black Rock Desert in Nevada the British supercar had already gone supersonic but there was still one new record to set under international rules the car had to make two runs through the sound barrier within an hour to make it speed official this time thrust screw made the turnaround with six minutes to spare it was all down to the final drive and the timekeepers conformational Mach number on the return run 1.0 so it's confirmed and official md green and thrust SSC had just said the first supersonic land speed record congratulations for md green whose average speed over a measured mile was clocked at 763 miles an hour very very pleased it's a triumph of British engineering to build the world's first supersonic car bring the team here five thousand miles from home we've had a fantastic amount of help from the people in Nevada but it was nonetheless a huge struggle over three years particularly the last six weeks of operating out here in the desert the fastest man on earth will return home to fly fighter aircraft the supersonic car will go at a more leisurely pace appearing as the store attraction at motor rallies and shows around the world Terry Lloyd News at Ten in the Nevada desert 766 miles an hour that's how fast Andy green went last week in thrust SSC the world watched in awe as he went supersonic and then some but what you haven't seen until now is the exclusive nail-biting behind-the-scenes story Craig Doyle reports from the heart of the thrust camp and we pick him up but just as they gear up for their first crack at the speed of sound it's the sixth week of the thrust SSC campaign here in the desert the car and the team are as ready as they're ever going to be it's already broken the land speed record with the speed of 714 miles per hour but if the truth be told that's not what the team are here for they want this car to go faster than the speed of sound unfortunately there's only one thing stopping them the weather it's unpredictable and unforgiving the wind can be violent whipping up sandstorms often making it impossible to see five feet in front of you and the rain which plans to turn this dried-up lakebed back into a lake has arrived as those of you on the blog have seen the wind is not being kind to us this morning continues to rise steadily therefore declared a weather hold and the rain means even the man who's driving the fastest car on earth Andy green has to do some sweeping much to the delight of his girlfriend Jane Millington drives quite quickly but no one's perfect and the muds not just a problem for feet so the speeds we want to achieve you've got to have absolutely perfect conditions and with damp patches there's a risk that maybe one front we would get in a softer patch than the other wheel and steering input we can do without that type of thing 750 miles out there but tomorrow I'm gonna have to get on with it time's running out whether it's finding out money's running out everything yeah we need to process people are running out we got tomorrow Dateline Monday the 13th of October the team wake up to a spectacular morning it's time for this beast to do the business to supersonic runs in an hour the world's media Thunder into position desperate to see a car goes supersonic for the first time ever nobody really knows what will happen well the first sign will be a sonic boom the standard speed of sound is around 750 miles per hour although gets faster in hot weather when a car travels normally the sound waves move in all directions but if it starts to catch up with the speed of sound the sound waves have nowhere to go and they'll start to squash up forming a cone which will trail back behind the car then after the car's gone past you all that compressed sound hits you at once bang but now it's time to put the theory to the ultimate test words cannot describe how that felt like as you can buy such a high speed was a massive boom I don't know if you can feel it on television but absolutely incredible it's the most amazing thing I've ever ever seen in my life it's just incredible we don't know what the speed is but that must be very very close to supersonic absolutely incredible the Maya was 764 764 miles per hour definitely supersonic a world's first but unfortunately the speed barrier wasn't the only thing they broken the extra heat generated had melted the parachutes they didn't open so the car couldn't slow down Andy had overshot by a mile and a half bad news as he had an hour to complete two runs for the record and already 17 vital minutes were lost towing the car back my heart was in my mouth with attention goodness knows how Andy felt unfortunately the joy was short-lived on believable they'd missed it by just 50 seconds despite an incredible performance by the turnaround team they went supersonic but their aim was to set a record and they didn't do it yet again celebrations were put on hold two days later holding their breath they go for another record attempt this could be their last chance fantastic and incredible doubled sonic boom caught here exclusively by a camera crew were only 500 meters away the booms came from both the nose and the tail that was seven hundred and fifty nine miles per hour and this time there were no hitches now the team could only wait for the return run [Music] well within the air the return run hits 766 miles per hour a new supersonic land speed record with no government help little sponsorship and a real lack of funds they've made history for Richard noble they said it couldn't be done but bloody done it after 10 hard years finally the dream real

Channel: Scarf And Goggles

Views: 125,186

Keywords: ThrustSSC, Richard Noble, Land Speed Record, LSR, WLSR, Thrust SSC, Jet Car, Andy Green, Supersonic

Id: Xh7EyBSm7gQ

Length: 65min 42sec (3942 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 02 2018