Project Thrust

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RICHARD NOBLE’s avowed intent to capture the World Land Speed Record came one step nearer to fruition late in September with the capture of five British records on the two-mile runway at Greenham Common air base near Newbury. Plans for this project have been very carefully laid and the British soil record attempts are all part of the overall scheme of developing and preparing the car for the main objective, the capture of the World LSR, which

currently stands at 622.407 to and is held by American Gary Gabelich.

Thrust 2, as the tots called (Thrust 1 having been destroyed in an accicient in 19771, has been extremely carefully prepared with backing from DON, Loctite and Initial Services. It has a frame constructed by T. I. Reynolds Limited of Birmingham and tested under the supervision of British Aerospace, while the power comes from a Rolls-Royce Avon 21001 jet engine which develops over 14,000 (bs. of thrust A full power. On the rather limiting venue for the British records at-tempts (two miles is covered in 30 seconds at 240 m.p.h.) the car behaved, faultlessly, although the tyres were beginning to shoos signs of exhaustion at the end of th-Lr day, and there has been talk of solid tyres for faster attempts, although these presumably toll be made on surfaces which are less cruel to tyres than an operational runway. We look forward to reporting the further successes of this worthy project. — P.H.J.W. .,”,,ti’,’.79`tc,17:`,’-ra,:,;(:::ifIrZaft,’:;r1.;;11111r`:,1i.nhg rp”trAsyrneTI”mk’ent’e ais from 107 98 m p h to h,alfeilocTetre rred fiodr7,187.&rrih’..io,255.2,068r1 ramed from 197.64