World land speed holder British Wing Commander Andy Green (below) pilots 1490mph jet fighters in his day job.
World land speed holder British Wing Commander Andy Green (below) pilots 1490mph jet fighters in his day job.
Jet pilot aims to be first driver to hit 1000mph on land
The driver of a jet-propelled car says his attempt to break the world land speed record in a vehicle travelling faster than the speed of sound will be like any other day in his "1000mph (1609km/h) office".
Andy Green, 51, a full time Royal Air Force fighter pilot, said the prospect of getting behind the controls of the supersonic vehicle holds no fear as he counts down to his first attempt to smash the world record in a year's time.
As the British-led team building the Bloodhound SSC (SuperSonic Car) completed the cockpit where Wing Commander Green will sit, he said getting behind the wheel would be like switching from his "day job" to his "holiday job".
Green, who flies Tornado F3 fighters at up to 1490mph for the RAF, is due to drive the £41 million ($79.4 million) racing car for the first time in South Africa next year.
He will attempt to be the first person to reach the speed of 1000mph on land. A total of 250 companies from around the world have contributed to the Bloodhound project, which started in October 2008. And when Green climbs into the cockpit, he knows that the success or failure of the project is in his hands.
"You're at the tip of the spear, the top of the pyramid, in terms of everybody else making the effort, but if you get it wrong in the cockpit, then frankly they may as well not get out of bed," he said.
"So you have to deliver, otherwise nobody else can complete their tasks properly. I absolutely love it. It's a huge responsibility, but it's what I've been trained to do."
World land speed holder British Wing Commander Andy Green (below) pilots 1490mph jet fighters in his day job.
Asked when the fear kicks in, he said: "I'm used to flying jet fighters, so the idea of going supersonic in a vehicle with this sort of performance, I'm used to that already.
"I think I should be feeling confident. Do I fear for my life? No."
Bloodhound, which can produce more than 135,000hp, will start "low-speed" testing in Newquay in August next year, where the car will be pushed to around 200mph.
It will then be taken to a flat dried-out lake in Hakskeen Pan, South Africa, for "high-speed" tests, where the team hopes to beat the land speed record of 763mph, held by Thrust SSC, a British car developed by Richard Noble and driven by Green.
The 1000mph attempt will be made the following year at the same location after further work.
Green added: "Am I massively worried about damaging the car? No. I'm a jet fighter pilot. I've had the privilege of driving aeroplanes for the Royal Air Force in various different operations around the world."
The 440lb (220kg) carbon-fibre cockpit, also known as a monocoque, is the strongest safety cell in the history of motor sport, and has been engineered to withstand the strain the vehicle will encounter.
At such high speeds, the slightest impact could prove catastrophic. A plastic windscreen almost 2.5cm thick is capable of withstanding the impact of a 1kg animal or bird at 900mph.The cockpit will also shield him from the 140-decibel noise that will be produced from the vehicle's engine, wind pressure and contact with the ground.
The cockpit will also broadcast live images of the attempt.
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