A History of the Land Speed Record

Speed of Sound
RAF pilot Andy Green poses with the Thrust SSC. On October 7, 1997, Green generated a sonic boom on land for the first time. His first attempt at the record was disqualified because he was not able to turn the car around within the allotted one hour (To qualify for a land speed record, a car must do two one mile trips, in opposite directions, within an hour) A week later, however, he drove it through the sound barrier to 763.035 mph, the current world record. Beside him is an air compressor, used to suck air out of the cockpit at high speeds if the airseal on the car should fail.

• Dream of Speed
• The Flats