ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC, Thrust SSC or Thrust SuperSonic Car is a British jet car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers, and Jeremy Bliss. Thrust SSC holds the world land speed record, set on 15 October 1997, and driven by Andy Green, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and it became the first and only land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier.
| Thrust SSC | |
|---|---|
Thrust SSC at the Coventry Transport Museum, where it is part of the permanent collection. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | SSC Programme Limited |
| Designer | Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers, and Jeremy Bliss |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Land Speed Record vehicle |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | two Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan:- Rolls-Royce Spey 202 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 16.5 m (54 ft) |
| Width | 3.7 m (12 ft) |
| Curb weight | 10.6 tonnes |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Thrust2 |
| Successor | Bloodhound LSR |
Both Thrust SSC and Thrust2 were displayed at the Coventry Transport Museum in Coventry, England. As part of the Museum's redevelopment project, both cars were relocated by specialist haulier from their position in the Museum's Spirit of Speed Gallery to the new Biffa Award Land Speed Record Gallery which opened in 2015.
The car is 16.50 m (54.1 ft) long and 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and has a curb weight of 10.6 tons. It had a reported thrust of 223 kN (approximately 50,000 pounds force) at some operating condition. Jet engines are not designed to operate at peak airspeed while still in ground effect; a proper estimate would need to take this into account.