Photo © Jeremy Davey Not for free distribution |
Photo © Jeremy Davey Not for free distribution |
Below are some of the pictures that I took at Blackrock Desert, Nevada on 15th October 1997.
Richard Noble's ThrustSSC, piloted by Andy Green had just set the World's First Supersonic Land Speed Record
Click on the small pictures to get a larger JPEG image. Please feel free to use MY pictures anywhere you so desire - but I would appreciate an acknowledgement and a link back to this site. Thanks!
Yours truly having just arrived at the desert playa pits at 30mph - sitting on ThrustSSC, having just arrived at 763mph | |
The Team - glad to be going home. | |
ThrustSSC on second (return) run, about 5 miles after passing through the measured mile - just about the time that we heard the double sonic booms. The dust from the first run is still hanging over the desert. | |
A worm's eye view of ThrustSSC - note Andy Green's restricted sideways view. | |
Hero Andy Green with "Supersonic Groupies". | |
Jayne Millington, communications controller & Andy Green's girlfriend - see above! | |
Richard Noble - now there's a dedicated man! | |
ThrustSSC's back end. | |
Ron Ayers - Chief Aerodynamicist and all round good egg. Interview with Ron Ayers, click here | |
Decal on vertical tailplane ripped off in the final supersonic run. | |
Jacked up ready to be towed back into the Aireshelta (visible in the background). | |
Rule Britannia!! |
New Pictures
These are some of the most awesome (in the true meaning of the word) photos I have ever seen.
The shockwave generated by the car passing through the sound barrier extended out 150 foot wide on each side, turning the desert into dust. This photo by Richard Meredith-Hardy ( http://www.flymicro.com/photolib ) - not for free distribution.
Click on this image to see the full size picture - the shockwaves above the car bend the light - amazing! This photo by Chris Rossi - not for free distribution.
From The FIA Website, The World Motor Sport Council released the following:
WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD
The World Motor Sport Council homologated
the new world land speed records set by the team
ThrustSSC of Richard Noble, driver Andy
Green, on 15 October 1997 at Black Rock Desert, Nevada
(USA).
This is the first time in history that a
land vehicle has exceeded the speed of sound. The new records
are as follows:
Flying mile 763.035 mph (1227.985 kph)
Flying kilometre 1223.657 kph (760.343
mph)
In setting the record, the sound barrier was broken in both the north and south runs.
Paris, 11 November 1997
Follow this link for a copy of my ThrustSSC story first published
in the MGOC magazine "Enjoying MG"