By Jonathan Duffy BBC News Magazine Driving at up to 300mph, as Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was when he crashed, is more like piloting a jet fighter than handling a car, says Andy Green, holder of the world land speed record.
By Jonathan Duffy BBC News Magazine Driving at up to 300mph, as Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was when he crashed, is more like piloting a jet fighter than handling a car, says Andy Green, holder of the world land speed record.
Exactly a month ago today, Wing Commander Andy Green was flinging himself across the Bonneville salt flats in Utah, USA, at speeds more typically associated with flying than driving.
Exactly a month ago today, Wing Commander Andy Green was flinging himself across the Bonneville salt flats in Utah, USA, at speeds more typically associated with flying than driving.
Strapped, as he says, "between two enormous diesel engines which are directly bolted to the chassis which I'm also strapped to," he touched 328mph - breaking the existing diesel land speed record by almost 100mph.
Strapped, as he says, "between two enormous diesel engines which are directly bolted to the chassis which I'm also strapped to," he touched 328mph - breaking the existing diesel land speed record by almost 100mph.
"The vibration was quite high. The noise was enormous. There was an enormous amount of heat in Bonneville and there's a fair bit of diesel smoke kicking around in the cockpit. It's definitely not a holiday environment," recalls the RAF pilot.
"The vibration was quite high. The noise was enormous. There was an enormous amount of heat in Bonneville and there's a fair bit of diesel smoke kicking around in the cockpit. It's definitely not a holiday environment," recalls the RAF pilot.
Andy Green: "It would be a dull world without record breaking"For Wing Cdr Green and the UK-led team behind the record breaking JCB Dieselmax car, it was all they'd set out to achieve. But while news of the triumph made the papers back home, it didn't perhaps earn the column inches one might expect for this remarkable combination of British engineering and derring-do.
Andy Green: "It would be a dull world without record breaking"For Wing Cdr Green and the UK-led team behind the record breaking JCB Dieselmax car, it was all they'd set out to achieve. But while news of the triumph made the papers back home, it didn't perhaps earn the column inches one might expect for this remarkable combination of British engineering and derring-do.
Maybe it was because Green had already claimed an even more revered crown - that of the fastest man on Earth. In 1997, the RAF pilot clocked 766mph in a jet-powered car, breaking the sound barrier and the world record.
Maybe it was because Green had already claimed an even more revered crown - that of the fastest man on Earth. In 1997, the RAF pilot clocked 766mph in a jet-powered car, breaking the sound barrier and the world record.
The severe injuries suffered by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond have highlighted the risks of driving at such high speeds.
The severe injuries suffered by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond have highlighted the risks of driving at such high speeds.
While an investigation is underway into the cause of Hammond's accident, Michael Harvey, editor of Top Gear magazine, commented to the Daily Telegraph that "clearly at those kinds of speeds the tiniest little thing has to go wrong and the speed obviously massively exaggerates the consequences".
While an investigation is under way into the cause of Hammond's accident, Michael Harvey, editor of Top Gear magazine, commented to the Daily Telegraph that "clearly at those kinds of speeds the tiniest little thing has to go wrong and the speed obviously massively exaggerates the consequences".
But what's it like to drive a car at such perilous speeds and how does a driver keep control?
But what's it like to drive a car at such perilous speeds and how does a driver keep control?
Many people will be familiar with the rituals of Formula One motor racing, even if they haven't been in the driving seat of a F1 car. While there are similarities, says Green, there are also stark differences.
Many people will be familiar with the rituals of Formula One motor racing, even if they haven't been in the driving seat of a F1 car. While there are similarities, says Green, there are also stark differences.
If you're fearful you probably shouldn't be driving like this - why are you doing it Andy Green "Both drivers need to recognise when they can push harder, when they are somewhere near the performance limit and when they've exceeded the limit. And then knowing what to do about it and putting in appropriately quick but smooth actions to sort that out," says Green.
If you're fearful you probably shouldn't be driving like this - why are you doing it Andy Green "Both drivers need to recognise when they can push harder, when they are somewhere near the performance limit and when they've exceeded the limit. And then knowing what to do about it and putting in appropriately quick but smooth actions to sort that out," says Green.
But while Formula One drivers get to test their cars over thousands of laps, identifying niggles and helping improve performance, there just isn't the time or money with extreme performance cars such as ThrustSSC, which Green drove in 1997, or Dieselmax - the car that earned him a second mention in the record books last month.
But while Formula One drivers get to test their cars over thousands of laps, identifying niggles and helping improve performance, there just isn't the time or money with extreme performance cars such as ThrustSSC, which Green drove in 1997, or Dieselmax - the car that earned him a second mention in the record books last month.
"You have very little time and very few runs in which to learn about the car. Each run takes a long time to set up, weather windows are limited and the budget is limited because you are away from home."
"You have very little time and very few runs in which to learn about the car. Each run takes a long time to set up, weather windows are limited and the budget is limited because you are away from home."
Straight ahead
Straight ahead
The overseas element, says Green, is down to the fact that the deserts of Utah, or Nevada where he broke the record in 1997, offer miles and miles of flat, open space - perfect for "straight-line driving".
The overseas element, says Green, is down to the fact that the deserts of Utah, or Nevada where he broke the record in 1997, offer miles and miles of flat, open space - perfect for "straight-line driving".
The scene where Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashedBut just keeping a car straight at such bewildering speeds is a skill in itself.
The scene where Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashedBut just keeping a car straight at such bewildering speeds is a skill in itself.
Green mentally returns to the cockpit of Dieselmax and recounts in detail the process of taking the car from a standing start to 300mph plus and back to zero in about three minutes.
Green mentally returns to the cockpit of Dieselmax and recounts in detail the process of taking the car from a standing start to 300mph plus and back to zero in about three minutes.
Just listening to the minutiae of intense mental processes and physical pressures is exhausting; one can only imagine what it's like to be in his shoes.
Just listening to the minutiae of intense mental processes and physical pressures is exhausting; one can only imagine what it's like to be in his shoes.
"Warming the engines up and dropping it into first gear - that's all reasonably easy. Getting the car on boost requires accelerating to 1,800rpm in first - about 60mph; then starting very gently to left-foot brake while keeping the power on to force the engines to work harder," says Green.
"Warming the engines up and dropping it into first gear - that's all reasonably easy. Getting the car on boost requires accelerating to 1,800rpm in first - about 60mph; then starting very gently to left-foot brake while keeping the power on to force the engines to work harder," says Green.
"So I'm now looking at the exhaust temperatures compensating for the fact that one of the thermocouples was a bit erratic, so I multiply the reading by about a third to get the real exhaust temperatures, looking for about 400 degrees on both that would then start to indicate boost on engines."
"So I'm now looking at the exhaust temperatures compensating for the fact that one of the thermocouples was a bit erratic, so I multiply the reading by about a third to get the real exhaust temperatures, looking for about 400 degrees on both that would then start to indicate boost on engines."
All that has happened within the first 10 seconds. It's no coincidence that Green's day job is piloting jet fighters for the RAF.
All that has happened within the first 10 seconds. It's no coincidence that Green's day job is piloting jet fighters for the RAF.
GPS... why?
GPS... why?
"I could give you the exact same description just doing a take off in a fast jet never mind air-to-air combat or low-level flying."
"I could give you the exact same description just doing a take off in a fast jet never mind air-to-air combat or low-level flying."
Wing Cdr Green makes a record attempt in Thrust SSC in 1997But while aircraft were made to fly at such breakneck speeds, taking a car to such speeds just seems unnatural.
Wing Cdr Green makes a record attempt in Thrust SSC in 1997But while aircraft were made to fly at such breakneck speeds, taking a car to such speeds just seems unnatural.
Even the technology on Dieselmax seemed to concur. The on-board GPS tended to conk out at 223mph because of a "software error".
Even the technology on Dieselmax seemed to concur. The on-board GPS tended to conk out at 223mph because of a "software error".
GPS? Was Green worried about getting lost in the desert? It was needed to calculate his speed since a normal speedometer would be corrupted by the fact the car wheels grew by 10% in the course of a run. Eventually, Green ended up calculating his speed from the rev-counter.
GPS? Was Green worried about getting lost in the desert? It was needed to calculate his speed since a normal speedometer would be corrupted by the fact the car wheels grew by 10% in the course of a run. Eventually, Green ended up calculating his speed from the rev-counter.
Clearly driving at 300mph has about as much in common with belting down the motorway, as piloting a Stealth fighter has to flying a kite.
Clearly driving at 300mph has about as much in common with belting down the motorway, as piloting a Stealth fighter has to flying a kite.
Throughout the brief run, Green has to maintain an intense concentration and alertness. By the time Green begins to apply the brakes - slowing at 20mph-per-second - he is several miles from the start point.
Throughout the brief run, Green has to maintain an intense concentration and alertness. By the time Green begins to apply the brakes - slowing by 20mph-per-second - he is several miles from the start point.
"The wind is entirely different at one end from the other. The run is 11 miles. That's the distance from the outskirts of London to the centre and I'm driving that in two minutes and the cross wind is changing and I can feel it changing and monitoring that all the time."
"The wind is entirely different at one end from the other. The run is 11 miles. That's the distance from the outskirts of London to the centre and I'm driving that in two minutes and the cross wind is changing and I can feel it changing and monitoring that all the time."
So what does driving at that speed feel like?
So what does driving at that speed feel like?
"The obvious thing is the ground goes past very quickly. But you can control the car and make decisions incredibly quickly. If you're fearful you probably shouldn't be driving like this - why are you doing it."
"The obvious thing is the ground goes past very quickly. But you can control the car and make decisions incredibly quickly. If you're fearful you probably shouldn't be driving like this - why are you doing it."
But if Green considers his fighter pilot training crucial to the task, what does he make of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond taking on something similar?
But if Green considers his fighter pilot training crucial to the task, what does he make of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond taking on something similar?
"It's a very brave thing, especially for a non-specialist. Richard's got an enormous array of driving skills but great credit to him for actually getting involved in a niche sport like this; trying to do something which is inherently difficult."
"It's a very brave thing, especially for a non-specialist. Richard's got an enormous array of driving skills but great credit to him for actually getting involved in a niche sport like this; trying to do something which is inherently difficult."
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
