Thrust SSC 25th Anniversary: Andy Green

What does it feel like to drive a supersonic car, and what drives someone to keep pushing at the limits of technology?
On 15 October 1997, Thrust SSC made history by becoming the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this extraordinary achievement, driver Andy Green visited Coventry Transport Museum to tell us more about his experience of the project.

[@MikuFan3931]

Andy Green is a great man to tell how he did this. I was so amazed.

[@nigelprice7953]

Andy Green, top bloke. If you watch the cockpit footage of the record run the amount of lock Andy had to put on is astounding. He must have balls of steel. I am proud to have helped in a very small way. As a member of the Mach 1 supporters club, when they were appealing for 'petrol money' in 1997 to fly the car out to Nevada, I sent them the money I had saved up for a new motor bike, IIRC £5K. I got a lovely thank you letter back from Richard Noble, signed by the whole team, including Andy, Ron Ayers etc., and they also painted my name on the sill of the car in an approx. 5" x 5" square down on the right hand sill just ahead of the engine exhaust. 2 weeks ago I dropped into the Coventry Transport Museum to see the car for the first time since I saw it go down the runway at Farnborough in summer of 1997. It was fun to be able to tell my kids at the museum "see if you can find my name on the car"! It was emotional seeing the car again. The team should be massively proud of what they pulled off.

[@mreckes9967]

Wow that 25yrs went by just about as fast Trust SSC went. Helluva thing to have been done, well done Andy and the whole team.

[@l-vaeronautics2734]

So inspirational.

[@danjames4086]

I ended up in Coventry Transport Museum by accident once when a coach trip went a bit pear shaped. So glad I did...it's a brilliant place. I had a way better afternoon than the event I was supposed to be at!

[@jezzter4293]

I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Andy Green & Richard Noble when they visited BAR F1. Wonderful gentlemen, Andy is a fantastic bloke. I still watch the video of Thrust SSC & it still amazes me! Awesome job

[@ullswater6]

Yet another brilliant presentation by a professionally-inspired, understated man who has done something so emotionally important to me... and still very few people even know about it. Not a day goes by where I don't still think about the land speed record - from the moment I first saw Thrust 2 doing 633 mph in Nevada (recorded for me by my dad one night in Essex on an old VHS tape), to the excitement of receiving every Mach 1 Club newsletter whilst struggling through my university years, re-reading every tiny detail, again and again and again. I'm still hoping for a sizeable windfall so that I could inject life again into the Bloodhound project; and see 1000 mph broken on Hakskeen with the all of the latest aerial and flight-deck footage filmed in 8K resolution. It would be absolutely timeless in scope. I'm passionately, desperately, dreaming... that we can honour it. And when I say dreaming I mean in the very grounded sense of my actual dreams.

[@nunyabidness4946]

They're looking for a pilot for the new project. Mr Green won't be doing it this next time for some reason. "If you're waiting until you feel talented enough to make it, you'll never make it."

[@nunyabidness4946]

Richard Noble watched John Cobb as a child and became obsessed with speed. You seem quite passionate as well.

[@nunyabidness4946]

Nothing but respect for you Mr Green. I would like to offer $3 and a pack of ramen noodles for the new project. I might have a few extra pinto beans next month.

[@Dg-zj6jo]

well done andy the real top gun. and boy were you super cool doing it sir brilliant

[@sbaddison]

I remember watching this live on an early PC with a 9.6k modem. Lived in Ryton for 14 years (99-13) and loved the museum.

[@TLH442]

Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy; typically the shock front may approach 100 megawatts per square meter power, and may exceed 200 decibels. That's equivalent to 10% the power out put of a nuclear reactor ~ 1 Gigawatt. If you look at the false color images of the computational fluid dynamics that were performed on Thrust, you'll see that most of the energy is focused on a short section of the nose of Thrust just between the intakes of the engines. Andy talked about how they needed down force to counter the pressure from that transonic shockwave and particularly on the bottom side of the nose. Aviators refer to it as ground effect. The pressure is confined as it has nowhere to go. Now factor in the magnitude of the pressure being generated at that location every second (power=energy/time) and you can see how risky the adventure becomes. Truly an astonishing accomplishment and my hat goes off to Andy in particular. Being and RAF supersonic jet pilot he understood the risks. Back in 1997 my mind was blown by it all.

[@Sean-hn1vt]

0:12 See that bot with the brown hair on the very left. Thats me!

[@thedevilsreject23]

It’s inconceivable that anyone other than Andy is even being considered to drive the new ssc for the land speed record run - he’s got the background the skills and experience that nobody else has - he’s been pivotal in its development since the days of this very car - it’s a bad idea and a bad media stunt just to secure funding and money - it could result in something very bad happening

[@rideyourbikent]

I went and fired 2 ejection seat rocket motors in the front of the car at Farnborough in the 90s

[@u3b93]

The SONIC BOOM referred @1:57 was heard all round the world! Do other viewers remember hearing this sonic boom in 1997, kindly comment . . . As for me I have no recollection of it in Mauritius

[@flyerphil7708]

😂😂😂hilarious

[@skyedog24]

It would be nice if they bringit back to the United States so we can take a look at it.